A CBS News poll found Trump retaining a steady approval rating at 50%, indicating a constant level of support since taking office. His most popular position was on immigration — 58% of those polled said they approve of Trump’s plans to deport illegal immigrants. The president has repeatedly pledged to carry out the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history.
The deportation plans had an even higher approval rating than his overall handling of immigration, which lies at 53%, his most popular issue.
The maintenance of a positive approval rating is in stark contrast to his first term, when media focus on the plight of illegal immigrants quickly soured public opinion. Despite an equal deluge of sympathetic stories in his second administration, such as legal residents being accidentally detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it hasn’t affected the popularity of his commitment to deporting illegal immigrants.
Trump’s dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs was also viewed positively, with 52% approving.
Another area where negative publicity hasn’t affected popularity is his handling of the Russia-Ukraine War — 51% of respondents said they approved of his handling of the conflict.
Support for the Department of Government Efficiency was split, with 50% approving and disapproving.
In contrast to his first administration, he received negative marks on the economy, largely due to his commitment to tariffs. Of those surveyed, 52% disapproved of his handling of the economy, and another 56% disapproved of his handling of inflation. On inflation, former President Joe Biden retained the largest share of blame, at 38%, compared to 34% blaming Trump.
Tariffs proved unpopular — 55% said Trump was focusing too much on tariffs, while 72% said they would increase prices in the short term, with 47% saying they would in the long term.
Trump’s recent battle with federal judges also failed to garner him proper support — even a majority of Republicans, 56%, said federal judges should be allowed to review his policies. His push to impeach federal judges garnered 59% support from Republicans, but just 19% among Democrats and 27% from independents.
Trump’s plans to seize Greenland were also unpopular, with 67% disapproving.
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Trump’s approval rating was split by sex — 58% of males approved, while 58% of females disapproved. He maintained a positive approval rating from young voters, with 51% of under-30 voters. He was more popular among the youngest demographic than the oldest, with 51% of over-65 voters disapproving.
The poll surveyed 2,609 adults in the United States, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.
