Checking the pulse - Trump, Immigration, Economy, Trade & Inflation

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   tsmogposted 3 weeks ago

   
   
   
   
   
   
   How popular is Donald Trump? presented by the Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver) Aug 15, 2025)
   Silver Bulletin approval ratings for President Trump — and all presidents since Truman.
   https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-appr … r-bulletin
   
   " The latest on Trump’s approval rating
   Updated August 15, 2025
   
   Tomorrow, Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. He already had a call with European leaders about the summit and his goal of brokering a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Things haven’t been slow domestically either. Earlier this week, Trump federalized Washington D.C.’s police force and deployed the National Guard to the city. Trump plans to ask Congress for a long-term extension of the D.C.-police takeover, which would ordinarily last for only 30 days.
   
   With everything going on, there must have been some interesting movement in Trump’s approval rating, right? Wrong. Since the start of August, Trump’s net approval has fluctuated between -8.2 and -8.9. Today, 44.0 percent of Americans approve of the job he’s doing as president and 52.3 percent disapprove. His approval ratings on the four issues we track — immigration, the economy, trade, and tariffs — have also been relatively steady.
   
   I wrote a similar update for our Musk favorability tracker today, but they’re slow for different reasons. Here, the cause isn’t a lack of new polls. We’re getting a steady release of Trump approval polls from the usual polling firms; they just don’t look much different from the polls we saw a few weeks ago.
   
   Second update of the day: Trump’s net approval rating is down to -9.2 in our average after a new poll from the Pew Research Center. Pew has Trump’s net approval at -22, his worst second term result in our database. -EMD, 8/14/25"

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   1. 83

      Sharlee01posted 3 weeks agoin reply to this

      It’s hard for me to understand why Trump’s approval rating would be low. From what I see, he has been working tirelessly to solve enormous problems, many of which he didn’t create but has inherited as part of the job. He’s been juggling crime, a broken border, a shaky economy that won’t be easy to fix, and on top of that, navigating two serious wars and the complexities of NATO. That’s a heavy load for any president.
      
      What stands out to me is that Trump doesn’t shy away from using tactics other leaders have never dared to use, and he never just throws his hands up in frustration. He is one of the most unusual presidents we’ve ever had, less talk, more action, and always grinding to keep his promises.
      
      So if his approval ratings are low, maybe the problem isn’t him but society’s expectations and the lens through which people are judging him. My eyes don’t deceive me: I see a man working harder than most to tackle challenges head-on, and to me, that should inspire higher approval, not lower.
      
      I think in the end, he will leave the Nation on good footing, a better place. Some will say he was the best. Some will say the worst.  I guess the proof will be in the pudding.

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      1. 72

         tsmogposted 3 weeks agoin reply to this

         Thanks for replying, Sharlee. Regarding your thoughtful observation; “It’s hard for me to understand why Trump’s approval rating would be low” I would suspect you just may have answered with, “So if his approval ratings are low, maybe the problem isn’t him but society’s expectations and the lens through which people are judging him.” And, your concluding statement is a truism as I see it.
         
         Being a subscriber to the Silver Bulletin I was able to retrieve the following graphic. It is a comparison of Trump with former presidents through 210 days for approval rating. That includes his first term as well. The green line is Trump’s second term and the gray line is for the other president, which would be his first term in that comparison.
         
         It is an interactive graphic allowing the ability to skim along the trend line to see the changing percentage. One important reality is Trump with his second term is doing better than his first. That does say something, right?
         
         On day 210 for his first term he is at 38.6% while this term he is at 43.7%.
         
         
         
         In agreement with your concluding paragraph I am going with the adage, “Time will tell.”

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         1. 83

            Sharlee01posted 3 weeks agoin reply to this

            Thank you for sharing this and for your thoughtful analysis. I agree, my point about Trump’s approval rating being influenced more by society’s expectations and the lens through which people judge him seems even more relevant when we look at these numbers. The comparison with former presidents, especially the distinction between his first and second terms, is quite revealing. Seeing that at day 210 he is at 43.7% this term versus 38.6% in his first term suggests that despite the intense scrutiny and relentless criticism, he is maintaining and even growing a solid base of support.
            
            From my perspective, this trend underscores that approval ratings are often less about a president’s actual performance and more about the narratives and biases shaping public perception. The interactive graphic does an excellent job of visualizing how perceptions shift over time and highlights that Trump’s influence and resonance with his supporters cannot be dismissed simply because the overall numbers appear modest.
            
            What I find particularly interesting is imagining how the remainder of his presidency will unfold. For those who strongly dislike him, it may feel like only a matter of time before he’s gone, but the question then becomes,  what happens next? How will his legacy, policies, and the political energy he’s mobilized continue to shape the party and the nation after he leaves office? Watching this play out will be fascinating, regardless of one’s political perspective.

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            1. 71

               Kathleen Cochranposted 3 weeks agoin reply to this

               Rarely (never) come to Trump's defense, but you also need to factor in the fact that Trump was not elected the first time by a popular vote. The majority of voters were shocked and disappointed and angry.

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               1. 83

                  Sharlee01posted 2 weeks agoin reply to this

                  You’re right, Trump did not win the popular vote in 2016, and that’s a fact that can’t be argued. So what can I say, Kathreen—I can see the disappointment you have and share with others. What I sometimes think gets lost, though, is that our system was designed that way on purpose. The Electoral College exists so that the voices of less populated states still matter, and so large urban centers don’t completely dictate the outcome for the entire country. The anger and shock people felt back then was real, but it was also a reflection of just how divided the nation already was—not something that started with Trump’s victory.
                  
                  So I ask, are those that won deserving of feeling pleased that they won, that their voices were heard, or is it only about a majority pointing out the popular voice really won? And what does that say? That we should do away with a system that we respected up until some did not?
                  
                  Presidents come and go, but unity is far harder to repair. Maybe we should keep that in mind when we share our thoughts and views. I feel where you are coming from.

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