Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Plummets in Key Swing State – Newsweek
Published
Jun 19, 2026 at 11:31 AM EDT
updated
Jun 19, 2026 at 11:32 AM EDT
Associate News Editor
President Donald Trump‘s standing in Pennsylvania has deteriorated sharply, according to a new statewide poll, with approval falling 10 points in just three months in a battleground state that helped return him to the White House.
The June Franklin & Marshall College survey found only 29 percent of voters rate Trump‘s performance positively, down from 39 percent in March, as concerns about inflation and personal finances continue to weigh on voters.
The findings arrive as both the Republicans and the Democrats prepare for a high-stakes midterm cycle in a state that frequently signals broader national political trends.
With all 17 U.S. House seats, the governorship, half the state Senate and all 203 State House seats up for election, shifting voter sentiment could reshape Pennsylvania’s political map and influence races beyond the state.
Pennsylvania remains one of the nation’s most closely watched political battlegrounds.
Trump carried the state by about 1.7 percentage points in 2024, making any significant movement in voter sentiment especially important as the midterms approach.
Only 29 percent of voters rate Trump’s performance as “excellent” or “good,” while 71 percent describe it as “fair” or “poor,” according to the poll.
The result marks a 10-point drop since March, one of the sharpest movements recorded in the poll’s recent history.
Support fell across partisan groups, including Republicans and independents, suggesting the shift is not confined to one segment of the electorate.
Economic concerns appear to be driving much of the discontent; 47 percent of voters say they are worse off financially than a year ago.
Approval of Trump’s handling of inflation—a central issue in the 2024 campaign—has fallen to 17 percent, down from 31 percent in late 2025.
Respondents continue to cite the economy, including housing costs, employment and energy prices, as the state’s most pressing issue.
That dissatisfaction is translating into political movement. When asked which party is better equipped to handle the economy, respondents favor Democrats by 42 percent to 24 percent, pointing to a shift in issue ownership that could reshape upcoming races.
The poll suggests voter dissatisfaction is extending beyond views of Trump himself.
In the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead Republicans by 12 points statewide, 47 percent to 35 percent. The advantage has widened since earlier surveys, pointing to a more favorable environment for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms.
With all 17 Pennsylvania House seats on the ballot, shifts of this magnitude could affect not only competitive districts but also the balance of power in Congress.
The broader mood remains pessimistic: 47 percent of voters say Pennsylvania is on the “wrong track,” compared with 36 percent who believe the state is headed in the right direction.
The Pennsylvania findings broadly align with Trump’s standing nationally.
Recent polling averages place his approval rating in the upper 30s, while disapproval remains near or above 60 percent.
CNN’s poll of polls, which aggregates and averages a number of recent polls, shows 37 percent approval and 60 percent disapproval, while The New York Times’ polling average puts Trump at 39 percent approval and 58 percent disapproval.
Meanwhile, Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin currently shows Trump’s net approval rating at minus 18.7, meaning disapproval exceeds approval by nearly 19 points.
Taken together, the data points to a consistent national picture: Trump’s approval remains stuck in the high 30s as disapproval hovers around 60 percent.
The White House has dismissed the significance of recent polling, arguing that Trump’s 2024 election victory is the measure that matters most.
In a statement to Newsweek, spokesperson Davis Ingle said nearly 80 million Americans had “overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.”
He added that, in the administration’s view, no president “has accomplished more for the American people.”
Ingle argued that Trump is “working tirelessly” on key priorities, including job creation, lowering inflation and improving housing affordability.
He said the administration had already made “historic progress not only in America but around the world,” adding that “this is just the beginning” as its agenda continues to take effect.
Pennsylvania has long served as a political bellwether, and the state’s 2026 races could provide one of the clearest early tests of voter sentiment toward Trump’s second term.
If economic frustrations persist and Democrats maintain their current advantage, the Keystone State may offer an early indication of whether broader political momentum is shifting ahead of 2028.
The findings come from the June 2026 Franklin & Marshall College Poll, conducted June 8 to 14 among 546 registered Pennsylvania voters.
The survey was conducted using a combination of phone and online interviews and weighted to reflect Pennsylvania’s electorate by age, gender, education, geography, and party registration. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.1 percentage points.
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