President Donald Trump is currently experiencing significant political headwinds, with a new projection from YouGov and The Economist revealing that his net job approval rating is negative in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Only three states—Wyoming, Idaho, and West Virginia—maintain a majority of respondents who approve of his performance, with net ratings of +14, +9, and +6 respectively. Notably, these three states consistently supported Trump in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections.
Conversely, the administration faces its lowest approval in the District of Columbia, which recorded a net rating of -83. Maryland and Vermont follow as the states with the highest disapproval, both registering at -50. These areas are historically Democratic strongholds that supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. The White House did not provide a comment regarding these figures as of Friday, August 21.
These polling challenges coincide with broader national concerns regarding U.S. foreign policy. An August 17 poll indicated that 80% of Americans—including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans—fear that the ongoing conflict with Iran will persist for an “extended period of time.” This sentiment aligns with record-low approval numbers in national tracking; a separate Reuters/Ipsos survey from August 17 found that only one in three Americans approve of the president’s performance, marking his lowest rating since returning to the White House in 2025.
Polling Averages as of August 21
- RealClearPolitics: 39.5% approve, 57.2% disapprove
- New York Times: 37% approve, 59% disapprove
- Silver Bulletin: 38.2% approve, 57.9% disapprove
Report Contributors
- Kinsey Crowley contributed to this report.
- Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.