What is Trump’s approval rating? Poll shows most Americans disapprove of Epstein approach

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The ongoing controversy around Jeffrey Epstein has roiled the Trump administration for weeks, and at least one poll shows most Americans are not approving of how it is being handled.

The Justice Department on July 7 released a memo saying no further disclosure of the criminal case documents was needed after teasing a "truckload" of Epstein files in March. In a rare moment of discord among Trump's supporters, many Republicans have pushed for more transparency around the files.

President Donald Trump's approval rating in his second term did not fall as far as quickly compared to his first term. But between both terms, his ratings have been the lowest in modern history. Late July polls from Reuters/Ipsos and Economist/YouGov show this is a particularly challenging time for the president as his approval ratings hit new lows in his second term.

Here is what to know:

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What is Trump's approval rating?

RealClearPolitics Poll Average shows Trump's approval rating was becoming more negative throughout the first few weeks of July before buoying in the last week. Aggregated polls by the New York Times show a similar trend.

As of Jan. 27, Trump received a +6.2 percentage point approval rating, but as of March 13, it flipped to slightly negative, the RealClearPolitics graphics shows. The approval rating reached its most negative on April 29 at -7.2 percentage points, which fell around Trump's 100-day mark. It came close to that low again on July 22 and 23 at -7.1 percentage points, as the controversy over Epstein carried into its third week.

His average approval rating margin as of Aug. 4, according to RealClearPolitics, is -4.8 percentage points. The approval margin according to the New York Times aggregator on Aug. 4 is -8 percentage points.

Economist/YouGov poll shows Americans' response to Epstein files

Controversy over late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal case files has dogged the Trump administration for weeks, as both political parties have called for more transparency.

In an Economist/YouGov poll conducted July 25-28, 61% of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of the investigation versus 21% who approve.

The survey also found 82% of Americans believe the government should release all the documents it has on the case.

Trump's overall approval rating was -15 percentage points in this poll, which surveyed 1,777 U.S. adult citizens and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. That is the lowest approval rating Trump has seen from this poll in his second term.

Trump's approval rating is low compared to other presidents

A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in July of his first years in office − both as the 45th and 47th presidents − are lower than any other modern president at the same time in their administrations.

In a Gallup poll conducted from July 7-21, 37% approved of Trump's job performance. Here is how that compares to other presidents in July of their first year of their term, according to Gallup:

• Joe Biden (July 2021) - 50% approve
• Trump (July 2017) - 38% approve
• Barack Obama (July 2009) - 57% approve
• George W. Bush (July 2001) - 55% approve
• Bill Clinton (July 1993) - 43% approve
• George H.W. Bush (July 1989) - 66% approve
• Ronald Reagan (July 1981) - 59% approve

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the Paste BN Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.