AP-NORC Poll: Americans Split on Trump’s Leadership Amid Shutdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A new AP-NORC poll shows declining approval for President Trump’s management of the government, including a significant dip among Republicans. The drop comes amid frustration over the ongoing government shutdown and broader concerns about Trump’s leadership style. Overall presidential approval remains steady, despite sharp partisan divides.
Trump Approval Ratings Quick Looks
- AP-NORC poll: only 33% approve Trump’s government management
- Down from 43% in March, driven by GOP and independent dissatisfaction
- GOP support dropped from 81% to 68%; independents fell from 38% to 25%
- Shutdown backlash seen as key factor in declining support
- 95% of Democrats disapprove of Trump’s management
- Trump’s overall approval holds steady at 36%
- Health care, economy, and immigration ratings remain largely unchanged
- Shutdown blamed on both parties by many voters
- Critics cite leadership failures; supporters blame Democrats
- Poll conducted Nov. 6–10 with 1,143 U.S. adults
Deep Look: Trump’s Government Management Approval Drops Sharply in New Poll, Including Among Republicans
WASHINGTON — As the federal government remains partially shut down, a new AP-NORC poll reveals a sharp decline in President Donald Trump’s approval for how he’s managing the government. Just 33% of U.S. adults now approve of his performance in this area—down 10 points from a similar survey in March.
What’s notable isn’t just the drop, but where it’s coming from: Republicans and independents, once Trump’s most dependable approval base, are showing growing discontent.
Republican Support for Trump’s Leadership Slipping
The survey, conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that only 68% of Republicans approve of Trump’s management of the federal government, down from 81% in March. Independent approval has also tumbled, from 38% to 25%.
Democratic disapproval remains overwhelmingly high, with 95% disapproving of his performance—up slightly from 89%.
This erosion in Republican backing suggests the ongoing government shutdown, now entering its seventh week, is beginning to wear on Trump’s political coalition, despite his attempts to blame Democrats for the standoff.
“I’m thoroughly disturbed by the government shutdown for 40-something days,” said Beverly Lucas, a 78-year-old Republican from Ormond Beach, Florida. “It’s like having a petulant child in the White House.”
She referenced Trump’s Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago, criticizing the optics of celebrating while federal workers missed paychecks and government services stalled.
Shutdown Highlights Bipartisan Frustration
The poll was conducted after Democrats’ strong performance in the November off-year elections but before Congress began serious moves to resolve the shutdown—the longest in U.S. history.
Though Trump and GOP leaders have cast blame on Democrats, the public appears to hold both parties responsible. Voter frustration centers on air travel delays, lapsed food aid, and unpaid federal workers.
“I truly do believe it’s everybody. Everybody is being stubborn,” said Nora Bailey, a 33-year-old moderate in Arkansas.
Bailey, who faced delays in receiving essential aid for her newborn son due to the shutdown, said she disapproves of Trump’s handling of the government but also doesn’t see decisive leadership from either side.
“I don’t see enough being done yet to tell me we’ve downsized the government or fixed waste.”
Presidency Approval Holds Steady Despite Government Backlash
Interestingly, Trump’s overall approval rating remained mostly stable at 36%, a slight drop from 37% in October. Approval of his handling of the economy and immigration also remained relatively unchanged, despite months of criticism and economic turbulence tied to the shutdown.
On health care, an issue reignited during the budget stalemate, 34% of Americans approved of Trump’s approach—nearly the same as the 31% in the prior month.
Supporters like Susan McDuffie, a 74-year-old Republican from Nevada, continue to back the president despite the shutdown’s toll.
“I have great confidence in Trump,” she said, blaming Democrats for using the budget battle to leverage an extension of health care subsidies. “I don’t have any patience for the Democrats and their lame excuses.”
“People who are scared about SNAP benefits and can’t feed their families—that should be the priority.”
Shutdown May Have Long-Term Consequences
While it’s possible that Trump’s approval numbers will rebound if the shutdown ends soon, the political damage may already be done. Approval for Trump’s management of the government had already been fragile—and is now at its lowest point in his second term.
Even some who previously supported his downsizing of federal agencies are now questioning his tactics.
“We need to be addressing these conflicts like intelligent people and not thugs and bullies on the playground,” said Lucas. “Air traffic controllers? Really? You want to not pay the people in whose hands your lives are every day?”
Poll Details and Methodology
The AP-NORC poll was conducted from November 6–10, 2025, and surveyed 1,143 adults across the U.S. using NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The margin of sampling error is ±3.8 percentage points.
The results come at a pivotal time for the president, as Democrats look to capitalize on public dissatisfaction heading into the 2026 midterms, and Republicans face the challenge of balancing party loyalty with growing concerns over leadership effectiveness.
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