US President Donald Trump is to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, 24 February. The address is critical because –
(a) He is making it after a disruptive first year that produced more controversies than successes.
(b) The general elections will be held on 3 November, when voters nationwide will decide all 435 House of Representatives seats, 33 Senate seats and 36 governorships, as well as thousands of state and local offices.
Meanwhile, an opinion poll conducted jointly by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos found that Americans were disgruntled about his performance and his tendency to exceed the authority vested in his office by the Constitution. The poll found that Trump’s approval rating stood at 60% negative and 39% positive.
The disapproval included 47% who said that they “strongly disapproved” of him.
The last time Trump’s disapproval touched 60% was shortly after the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Among registered voters, Trump’s disapproval stands at 58%.
Dissatisfaction with Trump applied to specific issues as well. Significant majorities said that they disapproved of the way he handled the economy, tariffs, inflation and relations with other countries.
His worst rating was on inflation. Only 32% approved of how he had dealt with inflation. On the question of his handling of the economy overall, only 41% approved.
Democrats Fare No Better
But there is a redeeming feature in the poll for Trump – Democrats have made little headway in persuading Americans that they have a better set of ideas or policies to offer. Just like the Republicans, the Democrats are not seen to be in touch with the concerns of the average American.
Asked whether they trusted Trump or the Democrats in Congress to handle major issues, 33% favoured Trump, 31% favoured Democrats, 4% said that both were fine, while a crucial 31% said that they trusted neither. In April, Trump led by 37% to 30% on this question.
Trump Has Republicans’ Full Backing
Be that as it may, Republican voters are still firmly behind Trump, with 85% of Republicans approving of his job performance. But 94% of Democrats and 69% of Independents disapproved of Trump. These findings were the same as they were in October 2025.
Trump has issued more executive orders in the first year of his second term than any recent president, but these efforts did not sit well with most Americans. Nearly 65% said that he had gone beyond his authority in exercising the powers he claimed he had.
Most Americans (56%) said he was not committed to protecting their rights and freedoms. More than 62% said he is using the presidency to enrich himself, and 56% said his administration is not transparent in releasing government files on the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein affair.
Foreign Policy
Trump’s foreign policy also drew negative reactions. After earlier threats to take over Greenland, from which he later backed away, and only six weeks after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, 54% said that they opposed his use of the military to force changes in other countries. Only 20% supported him, while 26% expressed no opinion.
These findings provide a snapshot of public opinion as Trump weighs possible military action against Iran, The Washington Post said in a comment.
Immigration Goals vs Methods
Two issues were critical to Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The first was immigration. On that, opinions are mixed at present.
Fifty per cent said that they support Trump’s call to deport the estimated 14 million undocumented immigrants. But almost 58% said that he is going too far in trying to deport undocumented immigrants. That finding is consistent with other polls that have found majorities supporting some of Trump’s goals, but opposing his methods.
Minnesota Effect
The immigration issue began to turn against Trump after what happened in Minnesota last month. About six in 10 said they oppose the tactics used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and a majority said that they oppose expanded enforcement operations to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.
This comes after growing opposition to ICE and Border Patrol operations in several cities, including Minneapolis, where the killing of two American citizens sparked massive demonstrations.
These developments have forced Trump to soften his tone and start the process of withdrawing ICE from Minnesota.
Economy
On the economy, the perception that President Joe Biden had allowed inflation to spiral out of control, and that Kamala Harris did not have a plan to deal with it, helped bring Trump back to power. He promised that he would immediately bring down the prices of key goods.
But while there has been some progress, the war on inflation is not over, and the broader issue of affordability looms ahead of the midterm elections.
Government data released last Friday showed economic growth slowed sharply at the end of 2025, weakened by tariffs and an earlier government shutdown.
Trump has begun travelling to 2026 battleground states, as he did last Thursday when he visited Georgia, with a message that things are getting better and will continue to do so as the November congressional elections near.
But by 48% to 29%, people said that the economy had got worse, not better, since Trump was inaugurated a year ago.
Asked whether they were better or worse off financially since Trump returned to the presidency, 22% said they were better off, while 33% said they were worse off. Forty-four per cent said there was no change.
Tariff Issue
Trump’s tariff policies have never been popular with the public and, despite all he has done and said about them, public opinion has not budged over the past year. In this survey, 34% said they approved of his handling of tariffs, while 64% disapproved, identical to the findings last April. His heavy tariffs on imported goods have led to a rise in domestic prices of many commonly used goods.
Last Friday, in a sharp rebuke to Trump, the US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs he had imposed, saying Trump had exceeded his authority by unilaterally imposing them.
Asked whom they trust to deal with reducing the cost of living, about a third mentioned Trump, another third said Democrats and a third said they trusted neither. On immigration, Trump continued to have a slight advantage, 38% against 34% for the Democrats.
Honesty and Fitness
Seventy per cent said that Trump is not honest or trustworthy. On personal attributes, negative perceptions about Trump have grown. The percentage saying he lacks the mental sharpness to serve effectively has increased steadily over the past three years and now stands at 56%.
On the question of his physical fitness, Americans are split almost evenly.
Comparison with Democrats
For Democrats, the new poll is a reminder of the challenges they face, not just in the November 2026 congressional elections, but looking further ahead. They have struggled to persuade Americans that their ideas are superior to Trump’s.
Asked whom they trust to deal with reducing the cost of living, about a third of Americans said Trump, a third said Democrats and a third said neither. On immigration, Trump continues to have a slight advantage, 38% as against 34% for Democrats.
Similarly, when asked who is more connected to the concerns of people, Trump and the Democrats fared equally poorly. Americans said both were out of touch with people at large. But Trump has shown a slight deterioration on this measure over the past year, while Democrats have shown a slight improvement.
The broad findings are a reminder of the distrust Americans have in their elected officials, regardless of party, The Washington Post said in its comment.