Polls: Majority View Trump's Second Term First Year as Failure

A majority of Americans view President Donald Trump's first year of his second term as a failure, according to recent national polls, with widespread concerns over the economy, his use of presidential power and his policy priorities dominating public sentiment.

The surveys, conducted in early January among more than 1,000 adults each, show Trump's overall approval rating holding steady at around 40 percent, similar to levels shortly after his January 2025 inauguration. In one poll, 58 percent of respondents described the past year as a failure, compared with 42 percent who called it a success. Another found 47 percent saying Trump has focused mostly on the wrong priorities, up slightly from April 2025, while only 21 percent said he has emphasized the right ones. About half of respondents in both polls indicated the country and its economy have worsened since the term began, with 40 percent reporting similar declines in their personal finances.

Economic issues emerged as the top public concern, outpacing other topics by a wide margin. Only 37 percent approved of Trump's handling of the economy, a modest uptick from a December low but still below his first-term averages, when...