US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has reached its highest level in years, even as the country remains sharply divided over his leadership. Recent polling shows that Trump’s approval stands at 49%, with 51% disapproving of his performance.
The latest figures in the poll conducted by Fox News, reflect a stark partisan divide. While 92% of Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance, an equal percentage of Democrats disapprove. Among independents, more than 60% expressed disapproval.
Trump’s approval rating now sits six points higher than at this point in his first term when he registered a 43% approval in March 2017. The president’s support among Republicans has also solidified significantly compared to his first term when some GOP members were hesitant to fully back him.
“The party’s completely solidified behind him,” said Daron Shaw, a political science professor at the University of Texas and a member of the Fox News Decision Team. “That wasn’t the case in 2017.”
While Trump’s numbers remain polarising, they represent a notable shift from his first term when his approval was consistently underwater. Analysts point to Democratic Party struggles as another factor in Trump’s improving ratings.
“Democrats were consolidated against Trump in 2017. They’re consolidated against him now,” Shaw explained. “But recent polling suggests they don’t like their own party very much either. The one thing they do agree on is their opposition to Trump.”
The poll results come as Trump continues an aggressive use of executive authority. Since returning to the White House two months ago, he has issued nearly 100 executive orders far outpacing his predecessors and made sweeping cuts to the federal workforce. His latest move, signing an executive order to begin dismantling the department of education, marks another step in his broader effort to reshape the federal government.
Trump has dismissed criticism, insisting that “a lot of great things are happening” under his leadership.
