Trump's approval rating falls to 42% according to Reuters/Ipsos poll

Trump's approval rating falls to 42% according to Reuters/Ipsos poll

President Donald Trump's public approval rating has dipped to 42%, as revealed by a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from April 13 to 17, 2025. The poll indicates that a significant number of Americans are wary of Trump's power expansion efforts, particularly his attempts to influence universities and cultural institutions.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 4,306 respondents, found that 42% of Americans approve of Trump's performance as president, a decline from 43% in a previous poll conducted three weeks earlier and from 47% immediately following his inauguration on January 20. This drop in approval rating coincides with Trump's efforts to broaden his influence over both government departments and private institutions such as universities and law firms.

According to the poll, 83% of respondents believe that the U.S. president must obey federal court rulings, even if he does not agree with them. This stance is significant, given the potential legal implications for Trump administration officials who may face criminal contempt charges for violating a federal judge's order halting deportations of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang.

Furthermore, the poll reveals that a majority of Americans are uncomfortable with Trump's moves to punish universities he sees as too liberal. Fifty-seven percent of respondents, including one-third of Republicans, disagreed with the statement that it is acceptable for a U.S. president to withhold funding from universities if the president does not agree with how the university is run. Trump has frozen vast sums of federal money budgeted for U.S. universities, including more than $2 billion for Harvard University alone.

Additionally, 66% of respondents do not think the president should control premier cultural institutions such as national museums and theaters. Trump ordered the Smithsonian Institution to remove "improper" ideology, sparking controversy and public disapproval.

On a range of issues, including inflation, immigration, taxation, and rule of law, the poll showed that Americans who disapproved of Trump's performance outnumbered those who approved. Notably, 59% of respondents, including a third of Republicans, believe that America is losing credibility on the global stage.

The poll also indicates that three-quarters of respondents do not support Trump running for a third term in office, a path that Trump has expressed interest in pursuing despite the U.S. Constitution's bar on such a move. A majority of Republican respondents, 53%, also do not support Trump's bid for a third term.

The data from the Reuters/Ipsos poll underscores a growing concern among Americans regarding Trump's power expansion and his handling of various issues. As the president continues to navigate his second term, these approval ratings and public opinions will likely shape his ability to implement policy and influence political dynamics.

Reference List:
[1] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trumps-approval-rating-keeps-getting-worse.html
[2] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025:newsml_L6N3QZ0FO:0-trump-approval-rating-dips-many-wary-of-his-wielding-of-power-reuters-ipsos-poll-finds/