- News
- World
- Americas
- US politics
President’s approval rating fell this week amid backlash over the Epstein files and the rising cost of living
Katie Hawkinsonin Washington, D.C.Saturday 22 November 2025 18:17 GMTComments
CloseRelated: Trump says Zelensky is 'going to have to approve' US ‘peace plan’
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Get our free Inside Washington email
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
President Donald Trump boasted Saturday that he has the “HIGHEST POLL NUMBERS” of his political career, despite some recent surveys showing his approval rating is at its lowest point since his second term began.
Trump bragged about his approval rating on Saturday morning, just hours after MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she’s resigning from the House of Representatives in January amid her growing feud with the president.
“I HAVE JUST GOTTEN THE HIGHEST POLL NUMBERS OF MY ‘POLITICAL CAREER,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without specifying which poll he was referring to. “While my great work on the Economy has not yet been fully appreciated, it will be!”
The president’s claim comes after a Reuters/Ipsos poll published this week revealed his approval rating fell to 38 percent, a record low for his second term so far. The survey reveals Americans are growing unhappy with Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the rising cost of living, Reuters reports.
The New York Times presidential approval rating tracker, which calculates the daily average based on dozens of polls, also shows Trump’s approval rating dropping. The president’s average approval rating is at 41 percent as of Saturday, according to the tracker. This marks a significant drop from his 52 percent approval rating in late January.
President Donald Trump boasted that his poll numbers are the 'highest' of his political career, despite recent surveys showing otherwise (Getty Images)Trump’s support from his own party appears to be weakening slightly, too, although it is still at a high level. The president’s approval rating among Republicans is at 82 percent, down from 87 percent earlier this month, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.
This comes after recent polls conducted by Marist, NPR and PBS showed Democrats hold a significant 14-point lead over Republicans among registered voters. About 55 percent of registered voters said they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress in their district if an election were held today, while 41 percent of voters said they would support a Republican.
The recent Reuters/Ipsos poll also shows Trump is close to former President Joe Biden’s weakest approval rating of 35 percent. However, Trump is still beating the lowest approval rating from his first term, which was 33 percent in January 2017, according to Reuters.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump’s approval rating is falling amid outrage over his administration’s handling of the files related to Epstein, a sex offender and wealthy financier who died in 2019.
Trump initially railed against legislation that would compel the Justice Department to release its files on Epstein, repeatedly calling the issue a Democratic “hoax.” But Trump reversed course on Sunday, urging House Republicans to vote to release the files.
The bill then passed the House with only a single “nay” vote, and later cleared the Senate without issue. Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, starting the clock on a 30-day deadline for the Justice Department to publicly release the documents.
Trump’s approval rating is also suffering as Americans struggle with the rising cost of living.
About 74 percent of Americans say their regular monthly household costs increased by at least $100 in the last year, according to the October Harris poll reported by The Guardian. Some respondents even said they’re paying between $500 and $749 more each month.
About 54 percent of Americans surveyed also said they believe the economy is in a recession, according to the Harris poll.
More about
Justice DepartmentDonald TrumpInflationJeffrey EpsteinJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments