A majority of U.S. citizens express disapproval of President Donald Trump’s management of inflation, tariffs, foreign relations, immigration, and the economy, while Americans remain divided on trusting Democrats in Congress more to address national challenges, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to the original ABC News/Ipsos/Washington Post poll.
According to the survey conducted from February 12 to 17, 2026, roughly two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s approach to inflation (65%), tariffs on imported goods (64%), and U.S. relations with other countries (62%). Disapproval is also high regarding immigration (58%) and the economy overall (57%). The Supreme Court issued a decision on global tariffs on February 20, shortly after the polling concluded. Trump’s approval on immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border remains narrowly negative, with 50% disapproving and 47% approving of his handling of the situation.
Disapproval is widespread among Democrats and independents across all six policy areas measured, while Republicans show more nuanced views. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 54% identify with the MAGA movement and largely approve of Trump’s performance, whereas 42% are non-MAGA and express disapproval on inflation, tariffs, and foreign relations, though they approve of his management of the border, economy, and immigration. Overall, Trump’s disapproval rating stands at 60%, the highest numerical disapproval of his second term, matching the figure from January 2021 when he left office after his first term.
Americans are roughly evenly split on which political party they trust more to tackle national problems: 33% favor Trump, 31% prefer Democrats, and another 31% say neither. On economic issues, trust in Trump versus Democrats is similarly divided, but Trump slightly leads on immigration by four percentage points. Approximately 64% of Americans perceive Trump as disconnected from public concerns, which matches the share expressing the same about the Democratic Party.
Economic sentiment remains largely negative but shows minor improvement. Nearly half of Americans (48%) believe the economy has worsened since Trump assumed office in 2025, down from 52% in October. Those who feel financially better off increased modestly from 18% to 22%. Attitudes toward inflation and tariffs remain sharply negative, with 65% disapproving of Trump’s handling of inflation, 64% disapproving of tariffs, and 57% disapproving of his overall economic management.
Concerns about Trump’s mental and physical fitness are at record highs. More than half of Americans (56%) believe he lacks the mental sharpness required to serve effectively, while 51% question his physical health. Majorities of Democrats and independents express these doubts, while most Republicans, particularly MAGA supporters, consider Trump fit for office. Trustworthiness is another area of concern: 70% of Americans say Trump is not honest, including 96% of Democrats, 80% of independents, and 74% of non-MAGA Republicans, although over 80% of MAGA Republicans view him as trustworthy.
The poll also highlights public disapproval of specific Trump administration policies. About 53% oppose reducing childhood vaccine recommendations, 54% oppose military intervention in foreign countries, and 62% believe Trump is using the presidency for personal enrichment. Support for these measures is largely confined to MAGA Republicans, while non-MAGA Republicans, independents, and Democrats express significant opposition. Transparency concerns remain: 56% of Americans say the administration has not been transparent in releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, with MAGA Republicans largely supportive of the administration’s transparency efforts, contrasting sharply with other groups.
The ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos poll surveyed 2,589 U.S. adults via Ipsos KnowledgePanel and carries a margin of error of ±2 percentage points, with larger error margins for partisan subsamples.
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