Trump faces declining support as protests erupt over tariff policies

April 07, 2025 (MLN): President Donald Trump's approval rating has turned negative for the first time in a poll conducted by a Republican-leaning firm that coincided with big protests across the United States against his policies as the latest round of tariffs took effect Saturday.

Analysts said a shift in Trump's numbers could influence support from Republican lawmakers, affect his ability to push through his agenda and shape the political landscape, heading into the midterm election cycle.

According to Rasmussen's daily poll tracker, as of April 4, Trump's approval rating sits at 49%, while 50% disapprove of his job performance, as APP reported.

That is the first time in Trump's second term that Rasmussen's tracker has shown the president with a net negative approval rating. Rasmussen is generally considered as a Republican-leaning pollster.

Many polls have shown the president's approval rating on the decline in recent days.

According to Newsweek, the average of the 10 most recently published polls shows that Trump's approval rating stands at 47%, while 49% disapprove.

That is a decline from early March, when Trump's approval rating was at 49%, while 47% disapproved.

The latest poll by RMG Research, another Republican-leaning pollster, has also shown a decrease in Trump's approval rating.

The most recent poll, conducted between March 26 and April 3 among 3,000 registered voters, showed that Trump's approval rating stands at 51%, while 47% disapprove.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 points.

In a poll conducted in March by RMG, 52% had approved and 45% had disapproved.

The same trend was apparent in the most recent TIPP Insights poll, conducted between March 26 and 28 among 1,452 respondents, which showed that 44% approve of Trump, while 45% disapprove, giving him a net approval rating of -1.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.

A previous TIPP Insights poll from January showed that Trump's net approval rating stood at +5 points, with 46% approving and 41% disapproving.

A poll conducted by Marquette University Law School between March 17 and March 27 among 1,021 adults also showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to 46%, while 54% said they disapproved.

In January, 48% approved and 52% disapproved.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

And according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between March 31 and April 2 among 1,486 respondents, Trump's approval rating fell to 43%, the lowest since his return to office.

Overall, the president was down 2 percentage points from a poll conducted March 21 to 23, and 4 points below the 47% approval he had shortly after taking office on January 20.

The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

Fears over the state of the economy sprouted in recent weeks in reaction to a number of Trump economic policies, including his new programme of tariffs.

Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking and securities firm, previously estimated tariffs could push up inflation by 1% while squeezing U.S. companies' profits.

The Marquette poll showed that 58% of adults think tariffs hurt the U.S. economy.

The same amount think Trump's policies will increase inflation.

Meanwhile, protesters across the U.S. took to the streets in a series of "Hands Off" demonstrations criticizing Trump's border enforcement and deportation policies, as well as mass firings under the Department of Government Efficiency.

In a statement released ahead of the event, organizers said Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk, have created an unnecessary crisis under the belief that "this country belongs to them" exclusively.

They’re taking everything they can get their hands on our health care, our data, our jobs, our services and daring the world to stop them, the organizers said in the statement.

This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

Among those who gathered at the National Monument on Saturday was Trump voter Ramesh Boodram, who's having some regrets as he contemplates possible disruptions to Social Security under the president.

"I’m a senior citizen," Boodram said.

 "He wants to step in into our Social Security checks. It’s not nice.”

On her part, White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said that “President Trump’s position is clear.”

“He will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries,” she said.

“Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”

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