Trump’s Job Rating Drops, Key Policies Draw Majority Disapproval as He Nears 100 Days

Majorities in both parties say Trump administration must stop an action if a federal court rules it is illegal

With President Donald Trump’s second term approaching its 100-day mark, 40% of Americans approve of how he’s handling the job – a decline of 7 percentage points from February.

And, even as Trump continues to receive high marks from his strongest supporters, several of his key policy actions are viewed more negatively than positively by the public:

• 59% of Americans disapprove of the administration’s tariff increases, while 39% approve.
• 55% disapprove of the cuts the administration is making to federal departments and agencies, while 44% approve.

Trump’s use of executive authority also comes in for criticism: 51% of U.S. adults say he is setting too much policy via executive order. Far smaller shares say he is doing about the right amount (27%) or too little (5%) through executive orders.

Note: This survey was conducted after Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, which triggered several days of volatility in U.S. and global stock markets. The survey was in the field on April 9 when Trump paused tariffs on most countries but levied higher rates on China. Americans’ opinions (including those about the economy and tariffs) were largely unchanged throughout the April 7-13 field period.

With many of the administration’s actions facing legal challenges in federal courts, there is widespread – largely bipartisan – sentiment that the administration would have to end an action if a federal court deemed it illegal.