What will be Trump’s approval rating and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party’s approval rating on September 26, 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, Trump's approval rating as of September 26, 2025, ranges between 37% and 45%, with most sources converging around the 40% mark. The Gallup poll from September 2-16 shows Trump's approval rating at 40% ^[1], while another Gallup source indicates his approval has dropped to 37%, marking the lowest point of his second term ^[2]. An Echelon Insights poll reports a slightly higher figure of 45% ^[3], and various polling aggregations suggest his approval ranges from 38% to 48% favorable, averaging around 40% ^[4].

The data reveals concerning trends for Trump's presidency, with independents' rating dropping to 29%, matching their all-time low ^[2]. Additionally, his net approval rating has reached -18, representing a new low in his second term ^[5]. Sources indicate that Republicans are souring on the state of the US ^[1], suggesting erosion even within his traditional base of support.

Regarding Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, the analyses focus primarily on President William Lai Ching-te's personal approval ratings rather than the party's institutional approval. Lai's approval has experienced a dramatic decline, dropping from 44% to just 26% ^[6] or 28% according to Bloomberg ^[7]. The South China Morning Post reports that more than 60% of eligible voters express disapproval of his handling of cross-strait relations ^[8]. Sources indicate that the Democratic Progressive Party's approval rating has fallen repeatedly ^[9], though specific numerical data for the party itself remains unavailable in the provided analyses.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question seeks specific approval ratings for both Trump and Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, but the analyses reveal significant gaps in the available data. Most critically, none of the sources provide the actual institutional approval rating for Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party as a political organization - instead focusing exclusively on President Lai Ching-te's personal approval ratings.

The analyses also lack temporal context regarding the trajectory of these ratings. While we know Trump's approval has declined to second-term lows, there's insufficient information about whether this represents a temporary dip or a sustained downward trend. Similarly, for Taiwan, the sources mention that Lai's ratings dropped from 44% to 26%, but the timeframe for this decline is not clearly specified across the analyses.

Methodological differences between polling organizations create additional uncertainty. The variation between Trump's 37% (Gallup) and 45% (Echelon Insights) approval ratings suggests different polling methodologies, sample sizes, or timing may significantly impact results ^{[3] [2]}. This methodological diversity is not adequately addressed in the analyses.

Furthermore, the analyses provide limited insight into the underlying causes of these approval ratings. While cross-strait relations are mentioned as a factor in Lai's declining approval ^[8], there's insufficient context about what specific policies or events have driven Trump's approval to second-term lows.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself contains an inherent assumption that may reflect temporal confusion or speculative framing. By asking for approval ratings "on September 26, 2025," the question treats this as a specific date requiring precise data, when polling data typically represents ranges of dates and margins of error rather than single-day snapshots.

The framing also suggests false equivalency between Trump's approval rating and Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party's approval rating. These represent fundamentally different political systems and measurement contexts - Trump's rating reflects individual presidential performance in a two-party system, while Taiwan's DPP operates within a multi-party parliamentary democracy where party approval and leader approval may diverge significantly.

Additionally, the question's structure implies that both ratings should be readily available and comparable, when the analyses demonstrate that institutional party approval data for Taiwan's DPP is notably absent from major international news sources. This absence itself may reflect Western media bias toward personality-driven political coverage rather than institutional analysis in Asian democracies.

The sources show potential selection bias toward negative coverage, particularly regarding Taiwan, where multiple sources emphasize declining approval and political setbacks ^{[8] [9] [7]} without providing balanced context about policy achievements or comparative regional performance. This pattern suggests that international media coverage may disproportionately focus on political difficulties rather than governance successes in Taiwan's democratic system.