Trump's Approval Ratings Dip Across Major Policy Fronts

New polling data reveals a noticeable slump in public approval for Donald Trump across several critical policy areas measured by Harvard CAPS/Harris. While his overall policy platform still garners support, specific issue ratings have declined between February and March of 2026.

This polling data is considered crucial for gauging the national sentiment leading up to the midterm elections scheduled for November. The results offer an early temperature check on how voters perceive the administration's performance amidst current national challenges.

Economic Management Shows Decline

The economy remains a central concern, and Trump's approval rating in this area has seen a reduction. His approval for handling the economy dropped from 45 percent in February to 40 percent in March, according to the survey.

Furthermore, the handling of inflation specifically experienced a more significant drop. Approval for managing inflation fell by 7 percentage points, moving from 45 percent in February 2025 to 38 percent in March 2026. Just one month prior, this figure stood at 44 percent.

Immigration and Foreign Affairs See Reductions

Approval ratings also decreased in the realms of immigration and foreign affairs over the past year. The rating for immigration management declined from 56 percent to 46 percent.

In foreign affairs, approval dropped from 48 percent to 41 percent. This context includes the ongoing situation with the Iran war and recent domestic issues like a partial government shutdown.

Government Administration and Other Issues

The administration's handling of government operations also registered a decline. Approval for administering the government fell from 49 percent in February 2025 to 43 percent by March 2026.

Approval ratings also decreased concerning two other stated goals: reducing the cost of government and the effort to return America to its core values.

Context of Current Events and Other Polls

The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll surveyed 2,009 registered voters between March 25th and 26th. It carries a margin of error of +/- 1.99 percentage points.

This period coincides with rising gas prices, which reached an average of $4 a gallon nationally for the first time in three years on Monday. The poll indicated that 41 percent of respondents approve of Trump's management of the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Other recent surveys reflect unfavorable results for the President. A YouGov survey conducted from March 20th to 23rd showed 38 percent approval versus 56 percent disapproval among 1,665 adults.

Analyst Commentary and Policy Support Strength

Political analyst Nate Silver noted on X that Trump's approval rating had fallen below 40 percent on his tracker for the first time, with a net approval rating hitting -17.4 percent.

Despite these dips, the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll highlighted strong support for several specific policies. For example, 85 percent of respondents favor lowering prescription drug costs, and 77 percent support deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.

Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, suggested the decline was minor, attributing it to the Iran War and the DHS shutdown. He stated, "Gas price increases are likely behind the decline, but such declines are likely temporary if the war goes as planned."

Penn also noted that on most issues, Trump's current approval remains higher than former President Joe Biden's approval ratings were upon leaving office in January 2025, excluding the 'returning America to its values' metric.