WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s second term has seen major changes in focus, but an AP-NORC poll released this week suggests his overall approval numbers have remained steady.
The survey, conducted Jan. 8-11, found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance as president. The poll said that figure is virtually unchanged from March 2025, shortly after Trump took office for the second time.
Economy approvals lag overall job approval
While overall presidential approval did not move much, the poll showed that Trump’s handling of the economy drew notably less support. Just 37% of U.S. adults approved of how Trump is handling the economy, up slightly from 31% in December, the poll reported.
The poll also reflected dissatisfaction about costs of living. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults said Trump has done more to hurt the cost of living in his second term, while only about 2 in 10 said he has done more to help. About one-quarter said he hasn’t made an impact.
Immigration approval declines; deportation leeway limited
The poll said Trump’s approval on immigration—once one of his strongest issues—has slipped. It found that 38% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, down from 49% in March.
In the same polling, about half of U.S. adults said Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to deporting immigrants living in the country illegally. The poll also reported that 45% of Americans said Trump has helped immigration and border security “a lot” or “a little.”
It found Democrats were more likely than other groups to credit Trump on immigration. The poll said about 2 in 10 Democrats said Trump has helped immigration and border security.
Foreign policy focus meets broad disapproval
The poll also found broad disapproval of how Trump is handling foreign policy. It reported that about 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of his approach, and that 56% say Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries.
The poll said views of Trump’s approach to foreign policy have changed little in his second term. It noted that Trump has focused more on global issues even as Americans’ concerns about costs at home remain prominent.
Poll details and timing
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,203 adults using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, and it reported a sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points for adults overall.
The poll was conducted shortly after the death of Renee Good, the AP said, describing Good as having been shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.