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How did Gallup and Pew report Trump approval or support in 2025?
Executive Summary
Gallup and Pew reported broadly consistent but not identical snapshots of President Donald Trump’s approval in 2025: Gallup’s series showed approval ranging from the high 30s into the mid-40s at different points in 2025, while Pew’s surveys clustered in the high 30s to around 40 percent, with disapproval generally a clear majority. Both organizations documented partisan polarization—high Republican backing and near-zero Democratic approval—and highlighted issue-specific variations (stronger confidence on immigration, weaker on healing divisions); timing and question wording explain much of the numeric spread between their reported figures [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. Numbers that look different but tell a similar story
Gallup’s reported approval figures in 2025 appear in multiple snapshots: early-year readings reported approval in the mid-40s, another Gallup update showed approval steady at 41% with 54% disapproving in an October sample, and a July measure showed approval near 37% with 59% disapproving. Pew’s independent measures likewise clustered, with Pew reporting 40% approval in April 2025, 38% in mid‑August, and broader global confidence metrics showing a median 34% confidence on world affairs across 24 countries. The differences across Gallup and Pew are within a range typical of reputable national surveys conducted at different times; both show approval below 50% and consistent partisan splits, even where point estimates differ [2] [3] [1] [4] [5] [7].
2. Timing and question wording drive apparent disagreement
Polls conducted weeks or months apart capture a moving political scene; Gallup’s mid‑February reading at 45% and July reading at 37% reflect temporal shifts, while Gallup’s October measure at 41% reflects later movement. Pew’s April-to‑August decline (40% to 38%) mirrors this fluctuation but uses its own question phrasing and sampling approach. The same broad pattern—approval in the high 30s to low 40s and a clear disapproval majority—appears across both pollsters, suggesting differences are methodological and temporal rather than contradictory revelations about public sentiment [2] [1] [3] [4] [5].
3. Partisan divide and issue-specific performance stand out
Both Gallup and Pew data show Republicans overwhelmingly approve while Democrats nearly universally disapprove, producing a polarized landscape where aggregate approval numbers mask intense partisan homogeneity. Both pollsters also measured issue-level confidence: Gallup respondents expressed relatively higher optimism about immigration control while showing low confidence in the president’s ability to heal political divisions; Pew’s issue polling found broad disapproval of specific policies like tariffs and mixed economic assessments. This alignment on partisan polarization and issue variance reinforces that the core story is about entrenched bases and contested issue performance, not single-number precision [1] [2] [4] [5].
4. International versus domestic lenses produce different headlines
Pew’s multinational work reported a median 34% confidence in Trump to handle world affairs across 24 countries, with sharp cross‑national differences—higher confidence in places like Nigeria and Israel, lower in Mexico and several European countries—while Gallup’s coverage focused on U.S. domestic approval metrics. The contrast between Pew’s international confidence measures and Gallup’s domestic approval polling highlights that “approval” can mean different things depending on whether surveys ask about job performance, issue competence, or global leadership, and that global ratings are not interchangeable with domestic job‑approval percentages [7] [4] [5] [1].
5. What to watch when comparing polls: margins, methods, and context
Comparing Gallup and Pew requires attention to sampling dates, question wording (job approval vs. confidence in handling specific issues), sample frames, and margins of error. Poll-to-poll swings reported by Gallup from 45% to 37% to 41% and Pew’s movement from 40% to 38% are plausible within a year of shifting events; no single poll should be treated as definitive, but the convergence around sub‑50% approval and clear disapproval majorities across both organizations is a robust finding. Analysts and readers should therefore prioritize trend and context over single-point comparisons when interpreting these reputable surveys [2] [3] [4] [6].
6. Divergent agendas and how sources frame the results
Media outlets and political actors will emphasize different elements: supporters will highlight the higher Gallup mid‑February readings or international pockets of support noted by Pew, while critics will point to the repeated sub‑40s measures and majority disapproval figures. Both Gallup and Pew adhere to established polling norms, but framing choices—headline numbers, choice of comparison baseline, and selective emphasis on certain dates—can reflect editorial or partisan agendas. The empirical anchor remains consistent across sources: 2025 polling from Gallup and Pew shows a president with solid partisan backing but overall approval below a majority and significant public skepticism on key issues [1] [2] [4] [5] [6].