Where Trump's approval rating with Black voters stands as of Juneteenth – Newsweek
Published
Jun 18, 2026 at 03:00 PM EDT
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President Donald Trump is heading into the Juneteenth federal holiday with his approval rating among Black voters slipping into the mid‑to‑low teens, marking one of the sharpest declines of his second term.
The shift matters because Black voters remain a cornerstone of national electoral coalitions, and their growing dissatisfaction could shape turnout and political engagement heading into this year’s midterms. Pollsters say the trend reflects deepening frustration over inflation, jobs and civil‑rights rollbacks—pressures that could continue to erode support if conditions don’t improve.
Decision Desk HQ and national tracking surveys show Trump’s support among Black voters has steadily weakened since early 2025, when approval briefly climbed into the mid‑30s. By spring 2026, that number had fallen into the teens, while disapproval surged past 70 percent in most national polling. Analysts point to rising prices, job losses and backlash to the administration’s immigration and anti‑diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies as key drivers of the downturn. A New York Times/Siena poll found that Black Americans now register the highest disapproval of Trump’s presidency among all racial groups.
Juneteenth—observed on June 19—commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops reached Galveston Bay, Texas, and declared the last enslaved people free under the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
Despite some cities scaling back celebrations amid federal DEI cuts, legal experts note that a president cannot revoke a federal holiday. “Holidays are established by Congress and cannot be revoked just by a president,” Northeastern University law professor Jeremy Paul told Newsweek.
The Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the National Park Service’s fee‑free calendar for 2026, replacing them with what the Interior Department calls “patriotic fee‑free days,” including Trump’s birthday (June 14), Constitution Day (September 17) and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27).
The changes accompany an “America‑first pricing” policy that raises fees for international visitors while keeping U.S. access unchanged. Critics say the move fits into a broader pattern of rolling back recognition of racial‑justice history on federal lands.
Trump’s relationship with Black voters has shifted drastically since the start of his second term in January 2025. After winning roughly 20 percent of the Black vote in 2024—the strongest performance for a Republican in decades—he entered 2025 with unusually high support as early polling showed approval climbing into the mid‑30s.
But the momentum faded quickly. By early 2026, approval had dropped into the mid‑20s as Black voters voiced growing frustration with rising prices, job losses and the broader affordability crisis. Pollsters noted that economic strain—not ideological realignment—was the primary factor behind the decline. Black unemployment rose to 7.3 percent, the highest of any racial group and the worst level since 2021, while inflation, energy costs and tariffs tied to the war with Iran intensified financial pressure.
As of Juneteenth 2026, Trump’s approval among Black voters has fallen into the mid‑to‑low teens in most national surveys. A New York Times/Siena poll found that 83 percent of Black Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, and 80 percent say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Analysts also point to backlash over the administration’s rollback of DEI programs, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that weakened voting protections for majority‑Black districts and heightened concerns about political representation.
Civil‑rights groups warn that these combined pressures—economic strain, policy reversals and voting‑rights rollbacks—are contributing to what some describe as a “Black recession.” Organizers say the challenge now is mobilizing Black voters, particularly younger ones, who may not immediately connect these policy shifts to their daily struggles. As Cliff Albright of Black Voters Matter put it, the fight over voting rights is directly tied to issues like gas prices, healthcare and SNAP benefits—the very concerns driving dissatisfaction today.
Trump’s strongest approval ratings remain concentrated in deep‑red states, though they reflect overall approval rather than Black‑specific numbers. According to Civiqs’ 106,000‑response dataset:
These states delivered some of Trump’s largest margins in the 2024 election and remain key to his coalition.
Opposition is strongest in heavily Democratic states:
These states have consistently recorded disapproval rates approaching or exceeding 70 percent.
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