U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 42%, the lowest since his return to the White House, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The decline reflects growing public concern over his efforts to expand executive authority, including controversial moves targeting universities and cultural institutions.
The six-day national poll, which surveyed 4,306 adults, shows Trump’s approval slipping from 43% three weeks earlier and 47% after his January 20 inauguration. While still higher than much of his predecessor’s tenure, Trump’s latest actions have sparked backlash. His executive orders, including threats to cut federal funding to universities deemed "too liberal," have drawn criticism from both political opponents and segments of his own party.
A significant 83% of respondents agreed that presidents must follow federal court rulings. The Trump administration may face contempt charges over deportation orders that bypassed legal challenges. Moreover, 57% of those surveyed—one-third of whom are Republicans—rejected the idea of defunding universities over ideological differences.
The president’s freeze on over $2 billion in federal funds to institutions like Harvard University, citing failures to address campus antisemitism, has added to the controversy. Additionally, 66% opposed Trump’s directive to assert control over national cultural institutions, such as his recent mandate for the Smithsonian to remove “improper ideology.”
Public disapproval outweighed approval on all issues surveyed, including Trump’s strongest area—immigration—where 45% supported his approach, but 46% disapproved.
A growing 59%—including a third of Republicans—believe the U.S. is losing international credibility. Notably, 75% of respondents, including 53% of Republicans, oppose Trump seeking an unconstitutional third term, which he has publicly expressed interest in.
The poll carries a margin of error of ±2 percentage points.