Poll finds Trump has highest approval rating now than any point in 1st term

President Donald Trump continues to defy expectations, with a new poll showing that he now has the highest approval rating of his first term in office. According to the latest national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 47% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance since being sworn in as the 47th president. While this marks a significant increase from his approval ratings as the 45th president, it falls below the ratings of most other presidents since Ronald Reagan.

The poll, which surveyed 5,086 adults from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, also found that nearly three in ten adults believe Trump’s actions have been better than expected, while 36% said they have been as expected. However, 35% of adults view his actions as worse than expected.

Public opinion on Trump’s agenda remains sharply divided along partisan lines, with 67% of Republicans supporting all or most of his plans and policies, compared to only 16% of Democrats. Republicans also have more confidence in Trump’s ability to improve the federal government, with 76% believing he will do so, while 78% of Democrats think he will make it worse.

As Trump enters his fourth week back in office, his efforts to cut wasteful federal government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have caused controversy. His threats of tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China, as well as his actions regarding the Panama Canal, Greenland, and the Middle East ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, have also raised concerns.

Trump’s advisers are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week in Munich as the conflict with Russia continues. Domestically, Trump’s Cabinet chiefs are facing challenges such as wildfires in California, a military helicopter-passenger jet collision in D.C., and ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in the southeast.

Overall, Trump’s administration is facing a mix of praise and criticism, with his supporters lauding his efforts to shake up the status quo, while his detractors express concerns about his policies and actions. As the country continues to grapple with a number of pressing issues, all eyes will be on the president and his team as they navigate the challenges ahead.