Bombshell New Approval Ratings Reveal What Americans Really Think of Donald Trump

But Trump doesn’t see it that way.

“The Polls Are Rigged”

In a fiery interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum last week, Trump was confronted with the falling numbers head-on.

He didn’t flinch.

“Well, when the factories start opening — and they will — you’ll see the numbers change,” he said, waving off the data as “garbage from bad pollsters.”

Then he took direct aim at Fox itself.

“Fox polling,” he said. “I’ve told you before — it’s the worst polling I’ve ever had. I told Rupert Murdoch, go get yourself a new pollster because he stinks.”

It wasn’t the first time Trump dismissed the numbers.

It likely won’t be the last.

To the president, approval ratings are just another media weapon — another narrative built to weaken him.

“The fake news loves their fake polls,” he posted later that evening on Truth Social. “But the people know the truth — the country is winning again, and they feel it.”

Why the Numbers Matter

Still, analysts warn that even Trump’s base should take the figures seriously.

Approval ratings aren’t just symbolic; they shape momentum. They influence markets, diplomacy, and Congress itself.

“When a president’s approval drops below 45%, lawmakers in his own party start to calculate differently,” said historian Elaine Berns, who has tracked presidential popularity since the 1980s. “They become less willing to take political risks for him.”

Berns noted that this is particularly dangerous ahead of next year’s midterms.

Historically, the president’s party loses an average of 28 House seats when his approval is below 45%.

That’s why Trump’s latest numbers have rattled even his staunchest allies in the Senate.