Donald Trump's approval plunge and intensifying war with U.S. media

A recent Economist/YouGov poll shows that 35% of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance while 61% disapprove, giving him a net approval rating of –25. This marks a lower level than any point in his first term and below the lowest net approval ever recorded for President Joe Biden.

During the same period, Trump has dramatically escalated attacks on the press. His administration has filed multiple lawsuits against media outlets, pressured the Federal Communications Commission over network mergers, restricted White House and Pentagon access, and used the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to target the New York Times. Federal agents also raided a Washington Post reporter’s home and issued (later withdrawn) subpoenas to journalists from the Post and Wall Street Journal. These actions have raised concerns about First‑Amendment rights and the ability of the press to hold the government accountable.