President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 37 per cent, according to a new Gallup poll. This marks the lowest point of his second term. In light of recent events, the decline appears closely tied to renewed public attention on the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The poll, conducted from 7 to 21 July, reveals a sharp political divide. While 89 per cent of Republicans support Trump, only 29 per cent of independents approve of his performance. Among Democrats, just 2 per cent express support.
As a result, Trump now stands only three points above his record low of 34 per cent from the end of his first term.
When respondents addressed specific issues, 38 per cent approved of Trump’s approach to immigration. Meanwhile, 37 per cent supported his handling of the economy. Despite focusing heavily on these topics, he continues to face growing scepticism.
Poll follows recent legislative action
Earlier in July, Trump signed legislation that extended his 2017 tax cuts. The bill also increased border security funding and reduced spending on welfare programmes like Medicaid and SNAP. He described it as a major achievement for his administration.
However, that momentum faded quickly. Shortly afterwards, the Department of Justice and FBI announced they had not created an Epstein client list. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier, died in custody in 2019. Following this announcement, many critics including some within Trump’s base accused the government of withholding promised information.
Growing demands for document disclosure
Responding to public concern, Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask the court for permission to release grand jury material related to the Epstein investigation. He said the public deserved transparency given the high level of interest. Nevertheless, the court rejected the request.
Meanwhile, scrutiny over Trump’s past connection to Epstein continued to build. The Wall Street Journal reported that Bondi told Trump in May his name appeared several times in the Epstein files. Even so, Trump denied that claim in comments to the press.
Notably, the documents do not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing. No formal allegations have linked him to misconduct in the case.
Although Gallup did not ask about Epstein, a separate Economist/YouGov poll conducted from 11 to 14 July revealed strong public suspicion. About 67 per cent of respondents said they believe the government is hiding information. Moreover, 79 per cent said officials should release all related documents.
