President Donald Trump’s approval rating among independent voters has fallen to its lowest point yet, according to a new national Quinnipiac University poll.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek in a previous emailed statement: “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and common-sense agenda.”
Why It Matters
Independent voters helped decide the 2024 election and remain the largest voting bloc in the country, making their sharp shift away from Trump politically significant, according to polling expert Brett Lloyd.
Lloyd, polling and research specialist for the Independent Center, told Newsweek that independents “are the only group not grading on a curve,” judging presidents almost entirely on results rather than party loyalty.
He said: “Partisans will forgive almost anything to see their side win, but independents are the ultimate ‘results’ voters.”
What To Know
The new Quinnipiac University poll shows Trump facing deep disapproval among voters nationwide, driven largely by a collapse in support from independents, according to the survey.
The poll surveyed 1,002 self-identified registered voters across the United States from March 6 through March 8, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, including the design effect, according to Quinnipiac University.
Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president, 37 percent of all respondents said they approve, while 57 percent said they disapprove, producing a net approval rating of minus 20 points, according to the poll.
Among independent voters, approval fell even lower.
Just 28 percent of independents said they approve of Trump’s job performance, while 66 percent said they disapprove, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 38 points, the lowest level recorded for independents in this polling series.
The new numbers mark a decline from the previous Quinnipiac poll conducted from January 29 through February 2, which surveyed 1,191 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, including the design effect, according to the university.
In that earlier poll, Trump’s overall approval stood at 37 percent, with 56 percent disapproving, for a net rating of minus 19 points.
Independent voters in late January and early February were more divided, with 31 percent approving and 58 percent disapproving of Trump’s performance, producing a net approval rating of minus 27 points, according to the same survey.
Looking back further, the shift becomes even more pronounced.
In a Quinnipiac University poll conducted from January 23 through January 27, 2025, Trump held a positive overall approval rating, with 46 percent approving and 43 percent disapproving, for a net approval of plus 3 points, according to the poll.
At that time, independent voters were closer to evenly split, with 41 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 5 points, according to Quinnipiac University.
Taken together, the data show a 15-point swing in the wrong direction for Trump’s approval rating among independents since early 2025, according to calculations based on Quinnipiac University polling results.
What People Are Saying
Brett Lloyd, polling and research specialist for the Independent Center, told Newsweek: “Independents generally view Washington as a single, dysfunctional machine, but Trump still benefits from being seen as the ‘operator’ rather than a ‘cog.’
Lloyd added: “The priority shouldn’t be firing up the base—it should be persuading the voters standing in the checkout line. He doesn’t need to fire up the people who already have the hat; he needs to convince the independent voter who is underwater on their car loan that he has a stable plan to fix it. Less ‘retribution,’ more ‘remedy.’”
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and common-sense agenda.
“The president has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world. It is not surprising that President Trump remains the most dominant figure in American politics.”
Speaking at a White House event last month, President Trump said: “It just amazes me that there’s not more support out there. We actually have silent support. I think it’s silent. I think that’s how I won.”
What Happens Next
Polling trends among independent voters are likely to remain a focal point as the White House pushes its legislative and policy priorities through Congress and heads into another election cycle.
Future surveys will offer a clearer picture of whether Trump can stabilize or reverse independent voter sentiment amid ongoing debates over the economy, governance, and federal leadership.
