Trump’s Approval Faces Challenges as Political Divides Deepen

On Memorial Day, President Donald Trump’s approval rating is struggling in most states across America, underscoring a nation divided politically and geographically. A Civiqs daily online tracking poll, featuring 106,368 responses collected from January 20, 2025, to May 23, 2026, indicates negative approval ratings for Trump in 36 states, with positive ratings in 14 states. This data highlights the erosion of his support beyond traditional Republican areas.

The polling data arrives on the federal holiday, Monday, May 25, which commemorates U.S. Armed Forces members who died in service. Trump’s approval rating carries weight as the midterm elections approach. Although he is not on the ballot, these elections will gauge public opinion on his presidency. Midterms historically serve as a referendum on the sitting president, influencing their legislative agenda’s fate. Key electoral battles could alter U.S. power dynamics, particularly as the party outside the White House tends to do better during midterms. In 2018, Republicans lost the House.

Republicans hold slim majorities in Congress. Losing control of the House or Senate would hinder GOP legislative initiatives. Using Civiqs data, Newsweek created a map to visualize Trump’s state-by-state approval ratings.

Key Points

• Nationally, Trump’s approval is at 36 percent, with 59 percent disapproval, according to a rolling Civiqs poll of over 106,000 registered voters.
• Strong support persists in deeply Republican states like Wyoming (net approval: +26) and West Virginia (+16).
• Only 14 states show net positive approval; the remaining 36 show higher disapproval, revealing a polarized landscape.
• Opposition peaks in Democratic strongholds, with disapproval near or exceeding 70 percent in Hawaii, Vermont, and Maryland.

Civiqs employs a large national panel and statistical modeling in its research.

States With Highest Approval Ratings

Deep-red Republican states, which supported Trump heavily in 2024, remain his strongest base of support. Despite national sentiment, his approval remains positive in the Plains, Mountain West, and parts of Appalachia. Wyoming leads with a 26-point net approval. North Dakota follows with a 17-point approval, and West Virginia is close behind at 16 points. These states were decisive for Trump in 2024 and have consistently shown strong support in Civiqs polling reported by Newsweek. Idaho (+14) and Alabama (+11, tied with South Dakota) are also strongholds.

States With Lowest Approval Ratings

Democratic states opposing Trump in 2024 show the lowest approval ratings. Rates are especially low on the West Coast and Northeast, where opposition endures. Hawaii (-61), Vermont (-57), and Maryland (-50) report the lowest net approval for Trump. These states typically exhibit high disapproval rates that remain stable over time, as reflected in previous Civiqs snapshots. California and Massachusetts (both -45) also show deep resistance to Trump.

Other Trump Polling

Civiqs findings align with other negative poll results for Trump. A New York Times/Siena College poll listed Trump’s disapproval at 59 percent, a record high in that survey. A CNN poll conducted from May 11 to May 15, 2026, recorded a 66 percent disapproval rate, the highest during his two nonconsecutive terms. This poll involved 1,507 registered voters through live telephone interviews in English and Spanish, with a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.

Trump’s Memorial Day Message

On Memorial Day, Trump mocked Democrats as “Dumocrats” in a Truth Social message. He wrote: “Happy Memorial Day to all, including the Dumocrats, who disrespect our Military and all of the tremendous success that it has had over the last year. God Bless those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. I love you all! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” In another post, he stated: “The Dumocrats have BAD POLICY, AND BAD CANDIDATES. Other than that, they are doing quite well! President DJT.”

White House Response

The White House has not officially commented on this new polling data. However, spokesperson Davis Ingle previously stated to Newsweek that “the ultimate poll was November 5th, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.”