Trump hits new approval low in latest poll over handling of economy – USA Today
President Donald Trump continues to see some of his worst polling numbers, with only a third of Americans approving of the way he’s handled the economy, according to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.
The poll, released June 18, showed that about 60% of Americans disapproved of how Trump has handled the economy, while 33% of Americans approved of the president’s economic performance.
That low mark represents the worst economic approval rating Trump has ever seen in a Marist poll.
According to the newest poll, Trump’s approval rating has continued to slide, with only 39% of Americans approving of his overall performance. That number, according to Marist, is the lowest of his second administration.
The nationwide poll, which interviewed 1,340 adults, was conducted between June 8 and June 11. Marist said the poll’s margin of error was ±3 percent.
According to AAA, average gas prices in the United States have dropped about 40 cents per gallon. Despite the drop, 34% of Americans told Marist that gas prices are a “major strain.”
The pain at the pump has also affected summer travel, with 45% of respondents saying they were not planning to take a summer vacation in 2026. Of the respondents not going on vacations, two-thirds said cost has at least some impact on their plans.
Earlier this month, Trump said fuel prices are “not very high, relatively speaking,” while discussing the U.S.-Iran war, which led to a spike in gas costs. On June 10, at the time of the president’s comments, the average price per gallon for regular gasoline was $4.15, down from $4.26 the week before and down from $4.52 the month prior, according to AAA. During the same time last year, it was $3.12.
Trump announced a 14-point US-Iran agreement this week, which he said will end hostilities and the war that began in late February. It is unclear how the end of the war will immediately affect gas prices, but the pact does lay out conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a 21-mile-wide shipping channel that carries about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Also, earlier this month, Trump brushed off concerns over the sharp increase in consumer prices across the United States, saying, “I love the inflation.” His comments were in response to a question about the Labor Department’s latest Consumer Price Index, which found prices were up 4.2% in May over the previous year. It was the first time inflation climbed above 4% since 2023, marking the largest increase in three years.
“No, I love it. The numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why?” Trump said June 10. “Because as soon as this war is over ‒ you know, I can say it now, something you didn’t know.”
Trump’s sliding numbers on the economy and overall approval come about two weeks after the president hit similar lows in a poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov.
That poll, released June 2, showed that about 61% of Americans said they disapproved of how Trump handled his job as president. Trump’s net job approval in that poll was at around -26%, the lowest seen in an Economist/YouGov poll in either of Trump’s terms in office.
Trump’s net approval also reached historic lows in the newest Marist poll, tying May’s record of -23%.
Trump’s approval rating has been net negative for roughly a year and has trended more negative in recent months.
These are Trump’s polling averages as of June 18:
USA TODAY’s Kinsey Crowley, Joey Garrison & Rachel Barber contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
