President Donald Trump’s approval rating among working-class white voters has slipped into negative territory for the first time in his second term, according to new CNN polling.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement, "The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda."
Why It Matters
Working-class white voters have been a core part of Trump’s political coalition, helping power his 2024 victory.
The shift comes as the White House faces fallout from the Iran war, economic pressure on low-income households, and a tightening political environment ahead of the 2026 midterms.
What To Know
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS between March 26 and March 30, 2026, shows Trump’s approval rating among working-class white voters (or white non-college graduates) at 49 percent approve and 50 percent disapprove, a net rating of minus one.
The survey was based on a random national sample of 1,201 adults and carries a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
That result marks a sharp change from earlier polling, where Trump consistently held positive approval margins with this voting bloc.
In a CNN poll conducted from February 17 to February 20, 2026, Trump’s approval among working-class white voters stood at 54 percent approve, and 46 percent disapprove, a net positive of 8 points.
That survey was based on a representative sample of 2,496 respondents, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Another CNN poll from January 9 to January 12, 2026, found Trump at 52 percent approval and 47 percent disapproval, a net positive of 5 points.
The poll surveyed 1,209 adult Americans recruited through a probability-based panel and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
The same 52-47 split appeared in a CNN poll conducted from October 27 to October 30, 2025.
That survey was based on a representative sample of 1,245 respondents and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Earlier in Trump’s second term, approval among working-class white voters was markedly stronger.
A July 10 to July 13, 2025, CNN poll showed a 54 percent approve and 45 percent disapprove split, a net positive of 9 points, based on a representative sample of 1,057 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
In April 2025, approval stood at 55 percent approve and 44 percent disapprove, according to a CNN poll conducted April 17 to April 24.
That survey included 1,678 respondents and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
Trump’s strongest numbers with this group came early in his term.
A March 6 to March 9, 2025, CNN poll found approval at 59 percent and disapproval at 40 percent, a net positive of 19 points, based on a representative sample of 1,206 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
In late February 2025, two CNN polls showed even wider margins.
A February 24 to February 28 survey put approval at 61 percent and disapproval at 38 percent, while a February 13 to February 17 poll showed a 63-37 split.
The latter was based on a representative sample of 2,212 respondents and carried a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Taken together, the data show a steady erosion in support over the past year, culminating in the latest poll where disapproval narrowly outweighs approval.
Other Polls Mirror Same Trend
The shift was also reflected in other major national polls.
A Fox News national poll conducted March 14–17, 2025, under the joint direction of Democratic firm, Beacon Research, and Republican firm, Shaw & Company Research, showed Trump with a 58–42 approval advantage among registered voters.
That survey included 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file and interviewed by live phone or online, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
By contrast, a Fox News poll conducted March 20–23, 2026, using the same bipartisan methodology, found Trump underwater at 49 percent approve to 51 percent disapprove among 1,001 registered voters, with the same plus or minus 3‑point margin of error.
A similar movement appeared in NPR/PBS News/Marist polling.
A survey conducted February 24–26, 2025, showed Trump at 54 percent approval and 42 percent disapproval among U.S. adults, based on interviews with 1,694 adults and carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
And in 2026, an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted March 2–4 found approval slipping to 46 percent with 48 percent disapproval among 1,591 adults contacted by phone, text, and online, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: "No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect."
A White House official previously told Newsweek: "Polling shows President Trump's decision to launch Operation Epic Fury has Americans' support—with MAGA and Republicans strongly supporting it. Despite some online commentators with large followings publicly disagreeing with the president's decision—and many legacy media outlets eagerly highlighting their comments to try and sow division—the MAGA base is not wavering one bit."
President Donald Trump said in March: "When this is over, oil prices are going to go down very, very rapidly. So is inflation. So is everything else. But frankly, much more important than short-term or even long-term oil prices: You cannot let the most violent, vicious country in the last 50 years have a nuclear weapon."
Update 04/03/26, 08:42 a.m. ET. This article has been updated with more information.
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