A Fox News poll taken May 15-18 finds Donald Trump’s overall approval at 39%, the lowest level of his second term and a sign that economic anxiety—especially inflation—has begun to sour support even among Republicans. The numbers also show sharp splits between
For the third straight month, the political argument around Donald Trump’s approval hasn’t been about foreign policy or personality. It’s been about money.
In a bruising new Fox News poll. taken from May 15-18 of 1. 002 registered voters. Trump’s overall approval rating sits at 39%—the lowest point of his second term. It is also just one point higher than his lowest-ever approval dating back to October 2017. Overall approval has fallen 10 points since the beginning of his term. including a drop of 3 points in just the last month.
The poll’s biggest drag comes from the economy. Concern about it is the predominant worry, and Trump’s overall approval on the economy is 29%—down from 34% in April. Even among Republicans, the ground looks unstable.
The poll finds a 7-point rise in disapproval on Trump’s handling of the economy among Republicans since April. A slim majority—51%—disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation. On the more specific question of slowing inflation, only 24% of voters approve of Trump’s job, down from 35% in January.
Support is fracturing along a familiar fault line: MAGA versus non-MAGA. The poll says 88% of Republicans who identified as MAGA believe Trump’s policies will help the country. But among non-MAGA Republicans, only 43% said the same. Across all registered voters, 57% think Trump’s policies are hurting the country.
“Despite consistently strong GOP support. the president’s numbers are leaking a bit. ” Republican pollster Daron Shaw. who helped conduct the poll for Fox. told the outlet. “Make no mistake; it’s all about affordability. Independents jumped ship in 2025, and now non-MAGA Republicans and other core constituencies are wavering.”.
That language—“leaking,” “affordability”—lands with particular force because Trump’s own response last week to economic pressure sounded dismissive. When asked by a reporter whether voters’ concerns about the economy would push him to end his unpopular war with Iran. Trump said. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” He added, “Not even a little bit.”.
The Fox results land alongside other polling that points in the same direction. A New York Times/Siena poll released Monday found Trump’s favorability is at the lowest point of his second term. with 49% strongly disapproving of his job performance. Nearly two-thirds of respondents there said the war with Iran was the wrong decision. and 70% disapproved of how he’s handled the cost of living.
Polling by CBS/YouGov from mid-May adds a sharper personal dimension to the same story. It showed Americans don’t think Trump is helping them financially and is now actively making things worse. Just 14% of Americans in that poll said Trump is making them financially better off. while 57% said he’s making things worse.
Taken together. the numbers sketch a familiar political tension: Trump’s core message is facing resistance from the reality people feel in their budgets. In the Fox poll. even Republicans who back him on many issues are increasingly rejecting his handling of inflation—while non-MAGA support trails sharply behind MAGA enthusiasm. The approval drop is not subtle, and the economy appears to be the mechanism behind it.
Donald Trump approval rating Fox News poll May 15-18 2025 inflation disapproval economy approval MAGA Republicans non-MAGA Republicans war with Iran polling cost of living Daron Shaw