How Trump Fares in a Major New Poll

Key Takeaways

President Trump's approval ratings remained stable at 43% despite a turbulent period.
Voters expressed conflicting views on Trump's policies, approving goals but often disapproving methods.
Political issues, particularly division and threats to democracy, have become voters' top concern, surpassing economic worries.
Despite widespread political pessimism, a majority of voters do not believe American democracy is facing imminent collapse.

A New York Times poll of over 1,300 voters found sentiment towards President Trump's second term largely stable since April.
Trump's approval ratings held steady at 43%, remaining within a few points of April's figures despite events like tariff changes, immigration raids, and political violence.
Stable ratings are attributed to core supporters remaining loyal, even if some policy actions do not fully satisfy them.

Voters support deporting undocumented immigrants but disapprove of the administration's deportation process as unfair.
A New York Times poll found 53% of voters believe President Trump went too far in deploying the National Guard to American cities.
Despite concerns about methods, voters appreciate Trump's efforts to reduce crime, which remains his strongest issue.
Opinions on Trump's handling of immigration and National Guard deployments have not significantly shifted since April.

Only 26% of voters view the economy positively, with 45% believing President Trump has worsened it, a shift from his first term.
For the first time, political issues, not economic concerns, were cited as the most important problem facing the country.
This shift followed the assassination of Charlie Kirk, indicating heightened anxiety about the state of politics.

Voters' top concern has shifted to politics, including anxieties about division and threats to democracy, with 36% citing political issues compared to 21% for economic issues.
The poll was conducted after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which likely amplified concerns about political health.
A two-to-one margin of voters believes the U.S. is too divided to solve its problems, a significant shift from September 2020.

Nate Cohn notes high pessimism about politics, but previously, Americans maintained optimism about the political system's ability to resolve issues.
Only 18% of voters believe American democracy is not strong enough to survive the current era.
While 31% think the country is heading toward failure, the majority view is that the country will likely muddle through with its flawed political system.

Despite widespread pessimism, over 80% of voters still view those with opposing political views as fellow Americans.
A growing share of Americans are willing to support more extreme policies due to perceived societal problems.
This willingness helps explain President Trump's stable support, as some Republicans endorse extreme measures or tolerate them due to societal concerns or dislike of the opposition.