A look back at how Trump's political decisions saw his approval rating plummet

So help me God. So help me God. 20th of January 2025. As Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term as U.S. president, his approval rating stands at around 52 percent, up from 45 percent at the start of his first term. But it won't take long for the figures to begin to fall. On the 28th of February 2025, a heated exchange between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office makes headlines across the world, What have I missed? sparking indignation from Kyiv's allies and exposing divisions within the U.S. over support to Ukraine, including within the Republican Party. By March 12th, more Americans disapprove of Trump than approve of him. Three months later, as Trump hosts a U.S. military parade on his birthday to mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, millions take to the streets for the No Kings protests against his increasing authoritarian style of governing. America was built on No Kings. That's why all of England came over here and all of Europe came over here. So they wouldn't have a king. This is what America is all about. On June 21st and 22nd, Donald Trump announces a series of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. A Reuters Ipsos poll finds just 36 percent of Americans approve of the attacks. By the end of the year, Trump's approval rating has fallen to 42.3 percent. In January 2026, the killings of Renee Goode and Alex Preti by ICE immigration officers sparked outrage and nationwide protests against Trump's anti-immigration crackdown. Shut it! The way that the government is bringing ICE in to take away our neighbors and to pull families apart is completely inhumane. In February 2026, Trump's popularity dips below his first-term approval ratings for the first time. That same month, the US and Israel launch coordinated strikes across Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the Gulf and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz. This despite Donald Trump's campaign promises of no forever wars. By September 11, the average price of diesel climbed above $6 a gallon for the first time in US history. And as America's 240 million voters were called to the polls, surveys showed cost of living remained their biggest concern. On November 1st, ahead of the midterm elections, Donald Trump's approval rating stood at just 37.3 percent, down 14.3 percentage points since the start of his second term.