President Donald Trump’s net approval rating has fallen to its lowest point of his second term, according to two new national surveys. CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten described the numbers from Quinnipiac University and the Associated Press-NORC Center as “awful, awful, awful” for the president, with approval ratings of just 38 and 39 percent, respectively.
Recent polling indicates that Trump’s approval remains stuck deep in negative territory, with many voters voicing frustration over his handling of the situation in Los Angeles, where large-scale protests broke out in response to stepped-up immigration enforcement. In early June, Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city moves that may have influenced public opinion during the survey period.
The Quinnipiac poll, conducted from June 5 to 9, found that only 38 percent of registered voters approve of the job Trump is doing, while 54 percent disapprove. That marks a slight drop from the university’s April 9 poll, which had Trump at 41 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval. The June poll surveyed 1,265 self-identified registered voters and had a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.
The AP-NORC poll, also conducted between June 5 and 9, found that 39 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s overall job performance, while 60 percent disapproved. That represents a modest slide from the previous month, when the president’s approval stood at 41 percent with 57 percent disapproval. This poll included 1,158 adults and had a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.
Enten pointed out that Trump’s immigration approval rating has dropped by six points over the last two weeks, based on CNN’s aggregated data. He said the polling reflects a notable shift in public opinion against the president’s recent aggressive immigration actions.
“The only thing that’s happened over the last two weeks is obviously Donald Trump’s ramped-up immigration hawkish agenda,” Enten said. “And at least at this particular point, the American people are saying, ‘No, we do not like that.’”
He added that Trump has lost ground even on immigration, which has historically been one of his strongest issues with his political base. “He is now underwater on the issue that has been strongest for him,” Enten concluded.
