President Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit a "perilous point", according to CNN’s political director David Chalian, citing a new poll conducted for the broadcaster. Why It MattersTrump's approval ratings have taken a significant hit since his return to the White House almost exactly one year ago, marking a substantial shift from the early days of his second term. Its results show that public approval for Trump has stagnated in the high 30s to low 40s throughout his second term. This marks the lowest point of his second term, though still slightly above the –20 net approval recorded at the end of his first term in January 2021 with the same polling firm. The decline spanned several key groups, including working‑class Americans, where Trump posted a 36 percent approval rating against 54 percent disapproval, yielding a net score of –18.

Source: CNN January 17, 2026 18:58 UTC