On the eve of his 50th day back in office, President Donald Trump is celebrating America’s “return.”
In an interview this weekend on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump emphasized the rapid pace of his administration’s progress. The White House capitalized on this momentum, releasing an email on Monday titled “50 WINS IN 50 DAYS: President Trump Delivers for Americans,” highlighting his accomplishments since his January 20 inauguration.
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
However, recent national polls reveal a more nuanced view of the Trump presidency. While some surveys, conducted ahead of Trump’s joint-session of Congress address last week, showed his approval ratings in the negative, others indicated positive sentiment.
Despite the mixed results, Trump, who closely monitors public opinion polling, took to social media to boast about his “Highest Approval Ratings Since Inauguration.”
While Americans are divided on Trump’s performance, his approval ratings for his second term are a positive improvement compared to his first tour of duty. During his four-year tenure, he started 2017 in negative territory and remained underwater throughout.
Nevertheless, there has been a slight decline in his approval ratings.
An average of the most recent national polls suggests that Trump’s approval ratings are slightly above water. However, since returning to the White House in late January, his approval ratings have slightly declined, averaging in the low 50s while his disapproval stands in the mid 40s.
“Keep these numbers in perspective. The current average is still higher than his approval rating during any point of his first presidency,” veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse advised Fox News.
President Donald Trump makes an announcement in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, March 3, 2025. (Reuters/Leah Millis)
Newhouse emphasized that Trump’s Republican base remains steadfastly supportive of him.
Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas, also highlighted Trump’s unwavering GOP support.
“He never had support from Democrats during his first administration, but he also faced challenges with Republicans,” Shaw, who serves as a member of the Fox News Decision Team and is the Republican partner on the Fox News Poll, pointed out. “One significant difference between 2017 and 2025 is the complete solidification of the party behind him.”
In his opening seven weeks back in the White House, Trump has been making rapid progress with a flurry of executive orders and actions. These moves not only fulfilled some of his major campaign promises but also allowed the returning president to assert his executive authority, swiftly leaving his mark on the federal government. He has also made substantial cuts to the federal workforce and resolved some long-standing grievances.
As of Monday, Trump had signed 89 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a Fox News count, which far surpasses the pace of any recent presidential predecessors during their initial weeks in office.
Among these notable actions is a high-profile crackdown on immigration, the imposition of steep tariffs on major trading partners such as Canada and Mexico, and a significant shift in the nation’s foreign policy by freezing aid to Ukraine and engaging in a verbal confrontation with that country’s president in the Oval Office.
“Newhouse criticized Trump’s policies for causing chaos among Democrats and highlighted the lackluster approval ratings for the Democratic Party. He pointed out that while Trump’s approval ratings may be slightly declining, they haven’t significantly improved for the Democrats.”
Despite being in a better polling position compared to his first term, Trump’s approval ratings are lower seven weeks into his presidency than any of his recent predecessors in the White House.
Shaw noted that neither Trump nor former President Joe Biden began with overwhelming approval. This contrasts with the traditional honeymoon period that presidents are expected to enjoy. Historically, the opposing party provides some leeway when a new president takes office, but this practice seems to be less common now.
During his first term, Biden’s approval rating fluctuated between the low- to mid-50s and the upper 30s to the low- to-mid-40s. However, his approval ratings plummeted into negative territory in late summer and autumn 2021 due to his controversial handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, coupled with rising inflation and a surge in migrants crossing the southern border with Mexico.
Throughout the rest of his presidency, Biden’s approval ratings remained consistently below 50%.
Shaw described Biden’s situation as “crippled and never recovering.”
On the other hand, there are some warning signs for Trump. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that only one in three Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living. Shaw emphasized that inflation, the issue that contributed to Trump’s re-election, remains a crucial factor in his political prospects.
“If prices continue to rise, Trump will face significant challenges,” Shaw warned.
