Is President Trump' a good president
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Executive summary
President Trump’s performance as president divides sharply along measurable lines: most reputable poll aggregates show more Americans disapproving than approving of his job overall as 2025 closed, while his core Republican base remains strongly supportive [1] [2] [3]. Evaluations of whether he is a “good” president therefore depend on the metric used—public approval, policy outcomes, or partisan consolidation—and the available reporting shows strengths on base mobilization and border messaging offset by weak approval on the economy and several foreign-policy moves [3] [4] [5].
1. Approval is underwater in multiple major polls, indicating broad public skepticism
By late 2025 aggregate trackers and major polls placed Trump with net negative approval: Silver Bulletin’s average hovered around -13 in mid-December [6], The New York Times and other aggregators reported low overall approval compared with past presidents [1], and Gallup recorded a 36% approval and 60% disapproval in a recent release, a second-term low [7]. Several outlets concluded that by year’s end more Americans disapproved than approved, with Decision Desk HQ, RealClearPolitics and Newsweek showing approval in the low-to-mid 40s and disapproval in the low 50s in many late-2025 snapshots [2] [8].
2. Partisan cleavages are stark: near-universal GOP support, broad Democratic opposition
Polling cited by AP-NORC and other outlets shows approximately eight in ten Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance even as roughly six in ten Americans overall hold negative views, including majorities of Democrats and a large share of independents [3]. This pattern—very high approval within the party and deep opposition across the other side—means electoral durability among Republicans but limited bipartisan legitimacy and governing consensus [3].
3. Policy pockets of strength and weakness: border messaging versus economic skepticism
Trump’s strongest issue approval remains border security, where half of the public gives him positive marks in some polls and Republicans broadly approve [3]. Conversely, economic approval has slipped: Reuters reported just 33% approval for his handling of the economy in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, and multiple outlets pointed to declining confidence on inflation and trade after tariff policies that analysts say lifted prices and created uncertainty [4] [5]. Aggregators like Silver Bulletin and the New York Times chart worsening net approval on the economy and trade among broader samples [6] [1].
4. Messaging, credibility and contested interpretations of popularity
The president has publicly disputed poll results, claiming a “real” approval number of 64% and calling polls “rigged,” a claim flagged by The Hill and Mediaite as unsupported by mainstream polling where most trackers placed him below 50% [9] [10]. News outlets document both his efforts to tout victories in speeches and the media narrative emphasizing slipping numbers; independent outlets and poll aggregators caution about house effects and methodological variance, but the overall cross-source convergence is toward underwater approval [6] [1] [2].
5. The verdict: “Good” depends on the yardstick—political consolidation vs. national-wide approval and economic confidence
If “good president” is measured by partisan mobilization and ability to enact agenda items that energize a party coalition, reporting shows clear effectiveness: strong Republican approval and message discipline on issues like immigration and tariffs [3] [4]. If the metric is broad national approval, economic confidence, and cross-partisan legitimacy, the evidence in polls and reporting points to serious deficits—underwater approval, low marks on the economy in multiple polls, and declining support among independents and middle-class voters [7] [11] [5]. This assessment is limited to the polling and reporting provided; independent verification of long-term policy impacts and unreported policy outcomes is beyond the cited sources.