1:55President Donald Trump addresses journalists on board Air Force One before taking off from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, October 31, 2025. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
A proportion of two-thirds of the U.S. population believes the nation is in a "pretty seriously off on the wrong track" state, while somewhat fewer than a third indicate the nation is advancing in the proper direction, as indicated by an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey implemented utilizing Ipsos' KnowledgePanel.
In general, it appears Americans are discontented and apprehensive, with a slight majority reporting the economy has worsened since President Donald Trump assumed office and significant portions asserting that the two main parties and the president are disconnected. A significant portion of U.S. citizens are also becoming progressively stressed by the government shutdown.
Substantially more Democrats (95%) and independents (77%) express that the nation is "pretty seriously off on the wrong track" compared to Republicans (29%), coupled with greater percentages of Black (87%), Hispanic (71%) and Asian (71%) citizens compared to white Americans (61%). The majority of Americans in metropolitan, suburban, and rural localities express the sentiment that the country is going in the wrong direction, along with individuals possessing diverse levels of scholastic achievement and affluence.
While 67% state that the nation is progressing in the wrong direction, this figure denotes a reduction from November 2024, during which 75% articulated the same sentiment in the period preceding the presidential election.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One before departure from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, October 31, 2025.Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Approximately 60% of Americans attribute the ongoing rate of inflation to Trump, whereas over 60% disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs, the economy, and the management of the federal government; substantial numbers also disapprove of his handling of diverse additional matters.
Furthermore, 64% of Americans believe Trump is "going too far" in endeavors to augment the authority of the presidency.
Concurrently, an even greater proportion of Americans opine that the Democratic Party is "out of touch with the concerns of most people in the United States today" (68%) than Trump (63%) and the Republican Party (61%).
Nearly half of the American populace (48%) asserts that America’s influence on the global stage has diminished under Trump, whereas a third (33%) argue it has grown stronger, and approximately 2 in 10 indicate it remains unchanged (18%) – statistics that have not undergone appreciable alteration during his second term.
Despite the fact that the midterm elections are still a year away, the unfavorable assessments Americans have concerning the condition of the country, the economy, and the president do not augur auspiciously for the president’s party in congressional electoral proceedings.
Economy
A narrow 52% majority of Americans believe the economy has declined since Trump became president, whereas 27% maintain the economy has experienced improvement, and 20% assert it has remained constant. The proportion asserting the economy is "much worse" overshadows the proportion asserting it is "much better" by almost a 3-to-1 margin, 26% relative to 9%.
Although the proportion expressing the sentiment that the economy is improved overall has escalated by 6 percentage points in comparison to April, the proportion asserting it is deteriorated has undergone minimal alteration. Fewer individuals now indicate it is the "same" (20%) compared to April (25%).
Almost 6 in 10 of those with household incomes below $50,000 assert the economy has worsened since Trump became president (57%).
About 60% of Americans place the blame on Trump for the current rate of inflation, with approximately a third attributing to him "a great deal" of the blame, in contrast to 40% who posit that he bears limited accountability for inflation.
Majorities of Democrats (92%) and independents (66%) assert that Trump is culpable for the current rate of inflation, alongside 20% of Republicans. Across various income brackets, the majority opine that Trump bears responsibility for inflation.
The proportion of Americans asserting they are "not as well off" financially in comparison to when Trump assumed the presidency exceeds the proportion indicating they are "better off" by roughly a 2-to-1 ratio, 37% to 18%. A 45% plurality state their finances are "about the same."
A greater number indicate they are faring better presently compared to April, during which 10% stated they were better off.
Trump approval
Trump’s disapproval rating has incrementally risen over the span of the year, and he is deficient in both that regard and with respect to critical issues gauged in the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey.
President Donald Trump speaks after disembarking Air Force One, as he returns from his Asia trip, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, October 30, 2025.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Cumulatively, 59% of Americans express disapproval of Trump’s execution of his responsibilities as president, whereas 41% express approval, positioning him 18 percentage points in negative territory concerning net approval, mirroring his position in an April survey (16 points in negative territory) and inferior to his standing at the inception of his second term in February (8 points in negative territory).
At present, Trump’s robust disapproval rating surpasses his robust approval rating by a margin exceeding 2-to-1, 46% to 20%.
Trump issue approval
The majority of Americans also express disapproval of Trump’s management of each issue assessed in the survey. Over 6 in 10 express disapproval of Trump’s handling of tariffs, the economy, and the administration of the federal government. Approximatively 6 in 10 disapprove of his management of the situation pertaining to Russia and Ukraine and interactions with other nations. Excess of half express disapproval of his handling of immigration, crime, and the situation concerning Israel and Gaza. He does not command endorsement from the majority of Americans on any solitary issue assessed.
Trump’s approval rating culminates in his handling of the situation pertaining to Israel and Gaza: 46% approve, and 52% disapprove – a superior outcome compared to his September ratings, wherein 39% approved, and 58% disapproved in a Post-Ipsos poll. Notably, Trump facilitated negotiations toward a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel subsequent to that September survey.
His approval ratings concerning other issues have either deteriorated or stabilized. He presently maintains his nadir numerical rating concerning his stewardship of the economy throughout his two terms as president, with 37% expressing approval and 62% expressing disapproval. Trump’s approval rating pertaining to the economy peaked in March 2020, with 57% endorsing his handling of the issue and 38% expressing disapproval. A majority has disapproved of his management of the economy since February 2025.
Trump’s approval rating concerning the administration of the federal government has also diminished, according to the survey.
The president’s ratings concerning immigration, tariffs, crime, relations with other nations, Russia and Ukraine, and crime have undergone minimal alteration since September’s Post-Ipsos poll.
President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP
Majorities of Americans also express the sentiment that Trump is "going too far" in his endeavors to augment the authority of the presidency (64%), dispensing with government personnel to curtail the magnitude of the federal workforce (57%), deploying the National Guard to patrol U.S. cities (55%), and attempting to enact alterations in the operational modalities of U.S. colleges and universities (54%).
And approximately half indicate he’s overreaching in his attempts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the government and private sector workplaces (51%), deporting undocumented immigrants (50%), severing avenues for immigrants to lawfully remain (50%) and enter (48%) the United States, and attempting to eliminate endeavors to augment diversity within government and private sector workplaces (47%).
Americans evince equipoise concerning the quantum of Trump’s accomplishments during his presidency, with 48% indicating he has achieved at least "a good amount" and 51% asserting he has achieved "not very much," "little or nothing."
Among those who posit that Trump has attained a commendable or greater quantum of accomplishment in the preceding nine months, a greater proportion asserts that his actions were beneficial for the nation rather than detrimental – approximately 4 in 10 Americans overall.
Midterms
Unfavorable assessments of an incumbent president do not constitute favorable indicators for his party as midterm elections approach.
With a year remaining until the 2026 midterms, voters evince a significant division in their allegiance between Democratic and Republican candidates, with 46% of registered voters articulating their inclination to support the Democratic candidate if the U.S. House of Representatives election were conducted presently, and 44% expressing support for the Republican candidate. Within the broader demographic of U.S. adults, 42% articulated their intention to support the Democratic candidate, while 39% declared their support for the Republican.
Within a November 2021 ABC News/Washington Post poll, a year in advance of the 2022 midterms, voters exhibited a 10-percentage-point inclination toward Republican candidates, and Republicans secured control of the House. In a November 2017 ABC News/Washington Post poll, voters manifested an 11-percentage-point inclination toward Democratic candidates. Subsequently, in 2018, Democrats gained control of the House.
Crime
A greater number of Americans perceive crime as a severe issue within major U.S. cities relative to their place of residence or the U.S. on the whole. Approximately 6 in 10 Americans indicate that crime is either "extremely" (29%) or "very" (32%) severe within major U.S. cities, whereas roughly half indicate that crime is a severe issue throughout the U.S., and slightly under 2 in 10 express the same sentiment concerning the locales in which they reside.
The proportion indicating crime within the U.S. is "extremely" severe (17%) is diminished relative to 2023 and 2024, during which approximately a quarter of Americans expressed the same sentiment, as indicated by Gallup polling.
Only 8% of Americans indicate crime is an extremely grave issue within their place of residence, a statistic that has remained within the single digits since Gallup commenced tracking it in 2000 – albeit numerically elevated relative to the years subsequent to that point.
Republicans are substantially more prone to assert that crime in large U.S. cities is "extremely serious" (42%) than Democrats (17%) or independents (27%).
ICE and National Guard
Americans are divided concerning the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants within the U.S. overall, in major cities, and within their locales by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Approximately 6 in 10 Republicans "strongly" endorse the ICE surge within the U.S., major cities, and their locales, whereas approximately two-thirds of Democrats strongly oppose these operations. A greater number of independents oppose augmented ICE deportations than endorse them.
Roughly 6 in 10 Americans (57%) state that ICE and Homeland Security agents should not be authorized to wear masks or face coverings while on duty, whereas approximately 4 in 10 (41%) posit that it should be permitted. Majorities of Democrats (88%) and independents (64%) assert that it should not be permitted, while a majority of Republicans (77%) indicate that agents should be authorized to conceal their faces while on duty.
Federal agents detain a man after exiting immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building, July 23, 2025 in New York City.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
A comparable proportion of Americans (58%) assert that a U.S. president should not possess the authority to deploy the National Guard into a state over the objections of that state’s governor; 40% posit that a U.S. president should be authorized to do so. Approximately 9 in 10 Democrats and two-thirds of independents state that this should not be permitted; 8 in 10 Republicans assert that the president should possess the authority to dispatch the National Guard into a state even if its governor objects.
Trump on international issues
Nearly half of Americans (47%) state that Trump is devoting "about the right amount of time" to international crises, whereas approximately one-third assert he’s devoting "too much time" (32%), and approximately 2 in 10 indicate he is devoting "too little time" to international crises (19%).
Just about 4 in 10 assert that Trump merits "a great deal" or "a good amount" of commendation for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (39%), while slightly over 4 in 10 state that he merits "just some credit" or "none" (43%).
Concerning Russia and Ukraine, 46% state that Trump is "too supportive of Russia," 8% assert he is "too supportive of Ukraine," and 41% indicate he is managing it appropriately.
Politically motivated violence
By a margin of 34% to 28%, a greater number of Americans attribute politically motivated violence in the U.S. to the Republican Party relative to the Democratic Party, with an additional 28% asserting that both are equally culpable and 9% indicating that neither is culpable.
Subsequent to 2022, a greater number of Americans have attributed political violence to the Republican Party relative to the Democratic Party, according to the survey.
2024 vote regret?
Expansive majorities of both Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ adherents assert that voting for their candidates was "the right thing to do" in 2024.
Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, October 14, 2024 in Erie, Pennsylvania.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Cumulatively, 92% of Trump adherents assert that voting for him was the appropriate course of action, while merely 7% express regret. An even greater proportion of Harris adherents assert that voting for her was the appropriate course of action, 97% to 3% who express regret concerning their vote. These figures for Trump and Harris have undergone no substantial alteration since this query was last posed in April.
Refer to PDF for comprehensive results.
Methodology — This ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll was conducted online via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel® Oct. 24-28, 2025, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 2,725 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, including the design effect. Error margins are larger for subgroups. The partisan divisions are 28% Democrats, 31% Republicans and 41% independents or something else.
Consult more details on ABC News’s survey methodology here.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
