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A Nation Split on Different Sides
President Donald Trump is an oxymoronic term because of those in his line of defense who see him as a man trying to get things done. At the same time, his leadership is blasted by the majority of voters, who hold the opposite view of his responsibility regarding economic performance.
Not only that, even Trump, who is assumed to have the most favorable rating, could not reach the peak, based on the most recent NBC News survey, from as early as March 7th to the 11th of the year 2025, which stated the overall average of 47% of Americans who have approved of the President’s job performance is the highest approval rating in his tenure so far, but the majority of 51% still disapproved.
The same goes for 44% of the population who mention that the country is going in the right direction as the last time was in 2004, the number 54 was on the wrong track. This sharp split shows that Trump’s situation is not the same as with other politicians. He’s more popular than ever among his base—64% of Republicans now identify as part of the MAGA movement, up from 52% in 2024—but faces fierce resistance elsewhere. Men approve of their job performance by a 55%-43% margin, while women disapprove by 58%-40%. Even Vice President JD Vance struggles, with a 41%-47% favorability rating, far lower than past vice presidents at this stage.
“Democrats are in the wilderness right now,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt, who co-conducted the survey. “But Trump’s numbers with independents? That’s a flashing red light.”
Opportunity for Growth in Trump’s Agenda
Trump won reelection by framing himself as the “economy-first” President. But voters aren’t buying it—at least not yet. Only 18% rate the economy as “excellent” or “good,” near lows last seen during the Biden administration. A staggering 60% say their family income is “falling behind” the cost of living, while just 7% claim to be getting ahead. Empty grocery shelves, bird flu-driven egg shortages, and Trump’s controversial tariffs on allies have fueled pessimism.
Regarding Trump’s management of the economy, 54% expressed disapproval of his performance, and 26% were pleased about his efforts to fight inflation. It is astonishing to know that only a few people are “excited” about his strategies to stem the growth of the expenses. However, the percentage of people who share this opinion is getting smaller and smaller, which is not a good sign in the long run. They should recognize there’s a significant discord between them.
Trump’s supporters credit him for post-election market rallies and deregulation, but voters broadly blame him for instability. His tariffs—meant to boost U.S. manufacturing—have spooked businesses and strained global relationships. “He won on groceries,” Trump told NBC in 2024, but today, even some Republicans quietly admit the “cost of living” message isn’t resonating.
Trump’s New Law Behind Immigration
If the economy is Trump’s low point, immigration will be his saving grace. Most voters (55%) are in favor of his measures on borders, like massive deportations and the controversial “Remain in Mexico” re-launch. In addition, 56% of respondents are cheering “the kind of change that is needed” on this issue, which is indeed a rare victory for the Republican Party. Trump’s immigration policies were more or less universally opposed by the opposition during his first term. Some moderate Democrats today admit that the sound of the border under his command is ‘much less chaotic.’ The opponents of this action approach maintain the view of it as being risky and thus include more humanistic crises and legal differences.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a sweeping initiative to slash federal jobs and spending—has become a lightning rod. While voters like the idea of trimming bureaucracy, they’re wary of its execution and leader, Elon Musk.
Forty-six percent support DOGE’s creation, but 47% view it unfavorably. Musk himself is unpopular, with 51% holding unfavorable views of the tech mogul and only 39% viewing him positively. On the question of where DOGE is headed, we gather the information of 33% of voters who feel it should “continue aggressively,” whilst 28% are of the perspective “slow down and assess,” and another 33% think that it should “stop before more damage is done.”
Musk’s controversial character and DOGE’s lightning-fast layoffs have led to bipartisan concern. “It’s not them doing what they’re doing- it’s doing it like history it’s a failure,” one GOP strategist said. Federal workers, viewed positively by 49% of voters, have become sympathetic figures in the debate.
Are Democrats in Disarray?
As Trump consolidates GOP support, the Democratic Party hits rock bottom. Just 27% of voters view Democrats favorably—the lowest in NBC poll history—and only 59% of Democrats feel optimistic about their party. Internal fractures are widening: 65% of Democrats want lawmakers to “stick to their positions” rather than compromise with Trump. In comparison, 48% of voters prefer Democratic control of Congress in 2026 versus 47% for Republicans—a statistical tie.
Issues with the party’s leadership are very visible. Democrats, still lacking a 2028 favorite, are divided between activists of the progressive wing who favor confrontation and those on the moderate wing who favor pragmatism. A Democratic congressional staffer expressed anger: “We are debating the labels simultaneously; he’s forging the new face of the USA.”
How Groups Tackling Trump’s Policies?
The poll options are designed based on how Trump treats the institutions. Fifty-three percent of the respondents claim that Republicans in Congress are “too supportive” of Trump, while 50% blame the Democrats for the fact that they are “too critical.” Media does better: 46% of the public think the media is “too critical” of Trump, while 25% say it is “too supportive.” On the other hand, CEOs are at the bottom of the list, with 49% of the respondents agreeing that corporate leaders are “too supportive” of Trump. The Supreme Court is known to be more reliable because it has 44% in favor of the President’s management.
During Trump’s presidency, a majority of 53% of the registered voters believed that the Republicans in Congress were too supportive of the President, 6% said the contrary and 39% thought that they were dealing with Trump in the right way. In contrast, 50% feel that congressional Democrats are too critical of Trump, 16% think they are too supportive of him, and 30% believe they are doing the right way for him.
The majority is 44%, and the number of people who think that the Supreme Court is correct in Trump is the largest, followed by others who believe the Court has been too supportive of 35% and too critical of 14%.
Nearly 49% of the respondents share the sentiment that CEOs of large corporations are too supportive of Trump. Meanwhile, 29% believe they are dealing with him correctly, and 12% believe they are being too critical.
On the news media, 46% of voters express that it has been too critical of Trump, 25% argue that it’s been too supportive, and 24% point out that it’s been dealing with Trump the right way.
The NBC News survey includes the opinions of 1,000 registered voters from March 7-11, gathered over the phone and through an online survey sent through a text message. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.