Emerson Pollster: Trump's Approval Dips, Voters Favor Moderates in 2025

Trump's Approval and Policy Grades

• 📉 President Trump's approval rating has hit a new low of 41% approved versus 50% disapproved by the end of 2025, a significant flip from the start of the year.
• ⚠️ Even among Republicans, approval has dropped from the 90s to 79%, indicating some are on the sidelines.
• 📊 On policy areas, Trump received his highest marks on immigration, with 37% giving an A grade, but struggled with the economy (22% A), affordability (17% A), and healthcare (14% A, 38% F).

Voter Concerns and Leader Favorability

• 📌 The economy remains the top issue for voters at 38%, followed by threats to democracy, healthcare, and immigration at 14% each.
• 🏥 Healthcare is increasingly a concern, with 14% citing it as a top issue and 40% reporting their finances are worse than a year ago.
• 🤷 Most political leaders surveyed, including JD Vance, Elon Musk, Mike Johnson, and AOC, have unfavorable ratings, with no one receiving overwhelmingly positive favorability.

Public Opinion on Boat Strikes and 2026 Elections

• 🚢 A majority of Americans (59%) have heard about the controversial boat strikes, with 45% believing they were justified, though this is split along partisan lines.
• 📊 Democrats are currently better positioned for the 2026 midterms with 44% in the generic congressional ballot compared to 42% for Republicans.
• 💡 Independents are breaking for Democrats (40% to 32%), but the undecided vote (15%) remains significant.

Candidate Preferences and Future Outlook

• ⚖️ Voters hypothetically prefer moderate candidates over progressive Democrats or MAGA Republicans, with moderate Democrats performing best against MAGA Republicans (47% vs 38%).
• 🌟 Despite current dissatisfaction, a slim majority (52%) believe 2026 will be a better year than 2025, showing optimism for the future.
• 🚀 Voters under 30 are particularly optimistic, with 69% expecting 2026 to be better than 2025.