An AP-NORC poll shows about 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of President Trump’s performance, essentially unchanged since March 2025. The survey highlights key weaknesses: only 37% approve of his handling of the economy and immigration approval has fallen to 38%. Roughly six in ten Americans say his actions have worsened the cost of living and disapprove of his foreign-policy approach. The poll sampled 1,203 adults Jan. 8–11 (±3.9 points).
AP-NORC: About 4 in 10 Approve Of Trump After First Year Back — Weaknesses On Economy, Immigration, Foreign Policy
FILE - President Donald Trump waves after arriving on Air Force One from Florida, Jan. 11, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House has featured high-profile moves and controversy, but his overall approval has remained unusually steady.
Approval At A Glance
An AP-NORC poll conducted Jan. 8–11 finds roughly four in ten U.S. adults (about 40%) approve of Trump’s job performance — essentially unchanged since March 2025. Respondents are about twice as likely to say he is prioritizing the wrong issues as the right ones.
Economic Headwinds
Economic approval is a notable weakness: just 37% of adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy, up modestly from 31% in December. About six in ten say his actions in this term have worsened the cost of living, while roughly two in ten say he has helped and about one-quarter say he has had no impact. Despite the president’s claim that "the Trump economic boom has officially begun," most Americans continue to describe the economy as poor.
President Donald Trump holds a bill that returns whole milk to school cafeterias across the country, in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Immigration Support Has Eroded
Immigration — once among Trump’s strongest issues — has slipped to 38% approval, down from 49% in March. The survey was conducted shortly after the killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, an event that may have influenced public sentiment. About half of adults say Trump has "gone too far" on deportations, a view largely unchanged since April.
Foreign Policy Draws Broad Disapproval
Trump’s increased focus on foreign policy has met with majority disapproval: roughly six in ten Americans disapprove of his handling of international affairs, and 56% say he has gone too far in using U.S. military force abroad. The period covered by the poll included high-profile actions such as efforts to exert influence over Greenland and the military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Bottom Line And Methodology
While overall approval has held steady, the poll highlights clear vulnerabilities for Trump on the economy and immigration and broad unease about his foreign-policy approach. The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,203 adults from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel from Jan. 8–11; the margin of sampling error for adults overall is ±3.9 percentage points.
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