Independents are increasingly souring on Trump, new poll finds

President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is slipping among independent voters in a new survey from Gallup, spurred in part by disapproval of how the president is handling key issues including the federal budget, economy and immigration.

A July poll from Gallup found that Trump’s job approval rating has dipped to just 37 percent among all American adults, the lowest of his second term. Self-identified independents gave the president a 29 percent job approval rating. The 17-point decline since January matches his lowest rating with independents in either of his terms.

Sixty-four percent of independents said they have an unfavorable opinion of the job Trump is doing. Just 7 percent of Republicans said the same, while 97 percent of Democrats said they had an unfavorable view.

The poll, which was conducted just days after Congress passed Trump’s megabill, showed that 73 percent of independents disapprove of the president’s handling of the federal budget. Sixty-five percent of all adults surveyed said they disapprove of how Trump is handling the budget, an increase from 52 percent who said the same in March of this year.

The decline in support could be a warning sign for Republican leaders as they look to maintain their slim control of the House and Senate ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Trump struggled to garner more than 40 percent approval from independent voters on several issues central to his 2024 campaign.

Though Trump made fortifying the economy a central pillar of his campaign, 68 percent of independents said they disapprove of how he is handling the issue. Overall, 61 percent of adults said they disapprove of how the president is handling the economy — a steady increase from the 54 percent who said the same in February, and roughly even with the 59 percent who said so in March.

Independent voters also remain largely displeased with his handling of immigration, even as it remains a cornerstone of Trump’s agenda — framed as essential to national security and economic stability.

Only 30 percent of independents approve of Trump’s handling of immigration in the Gallup poll. Sixty percent of all adults said they disapprove of his handling of the issue, also an increase from February when 51 percent said the same.

Democrats in the poll broadly disapprove of Trump’s handling on most major issues. Only 2 percent of Democrats approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, and only 3 percent approve of his handling of the federal budget. Four percent approve of his handling of immigration.

Republicans largely still approve of Trump’s presidency, with 89 percent overall approving. Eighty-four percent approve of his handling of the economy, while 81 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the federal budget. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling immigration.

The poll was conducted by telephone from July 7-21, 2025 with a random sample of 1,002 adults. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Subgroups have a larger margin of error.