The Pew Research Center recently conducted a comprehensive study to gauge how Americans perceive President Donald Trump and his administration’s key policies. The survey, which took place from August 4 to 10, 2025, included responses from 3,554 adults and aimed to provide a snapshot of public opinion six months into Trump’s second term. Participants were drawn from the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a diverse group recruited through national random sampling of residential addresses. This methodology ensures that nearly all U.S. adults have an equal chance of selection. Interviews were conducted online or via telephone with live interviewers, and the data was weighted to represent the U.S. adult population based on various demographics.
The findings indicate that public evaluations of Trump’s job performance have become increasingly negative. Currently, his job approval rating stands at a mere 38%, while 60% of Americans disapprove of his performance. Notably, fewer individuals attribute positive personal characteristics to Trump than during his initial campaign. His administration’s key policies, particularly the rollout of tariff policies and the tax and spending legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” are facing significant disapproval. A striking 61% of Americans disapprove of the tariff policies, and 46% disapprove of the tax and spending law, while only 32% express approval.
A majority of 53% of survey respondents believe that Trump is making the federal government less effective, contrasting sharply with the 27% who feel he is improving it. This sentiment is echoed across party lines, with both Republicans and Democrats providing more negative assessments than predicted shortly after Trump’s inauguration. The survey indicates that 55% of Republicans now believe Trump is improving government efficiency, a significant drop from 76% who held this belief shortly after he took office. Conversely, 87% of Democrats assert that Trump is worsening government operations, compared to 78% at the beginning of his term.
Trump’s approval rating has declined by 3 percentage points in the last two months and has fallen by 9 points since the start of his presidency. This decline is attributed to diminishing support among his 2024 backers and nonvoters. While a significant 85% of Trump’s 2024 voters still approve of his performance, this is a decrease from 88% in June and 95% shortly after his inauguration. Additionally, only 32% of 2024 nonvoters currently approve of his job performance, down from 36% in June.
Public assessments of Trump concerning his personal traits have also shifted negatively. Currently, only 37% of Americans believe he cares about ordinary people's needs, down from 42% last summer. Similarly, the perception of Trump as a good role model has declined from 34% to 29%, and those who consider him mentally sharp have decreased from 53% to 48%. However, a consistent 68% of respondents affirm that he stands up for what he believes in, unchanged from last summer.
When it comes to confidence in Trump’s handling of critical issues, fewer than half of Americans express trust in his abilities. Notably, 47% are at least somewhat confident in his ability to negotiate trade agreements, and 46% trust him to handle immigration. However, confidence is notably lower regarding foreign policy (43%) and health care policy (38%). Additionally, confidence in Trump’s decision-making regarding the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict has decreased from 45% last July to 40% today, with Republican confidence dropping from 81% to 73% during the same period.
Lastly, a significant 70% of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s management of information related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, with only 25% expressing approval. Opinions are divided among Republicans, with 53% disapproving and 44% approving, while overwhelming disapproval is seen among Democrats, at 90%.
