President Donald Trump's approval rating is steady foranother week, keeping the second-term president at a consistently lower-than-average approval rating throughout May. Trump in mid-April ended the first three months of his second term with anaverage 45% job approval rating, according to an analysis by Gallup. Though higher than the 41% he earned inhis first termduring the same period, it is well below the 60% average during the first three months of all other U.S. presidents' first terms since 1952. An average of recent polling from theNew York Timesshows Trump's approval rating at 45%, as of Friday, May 30, with 52% disapproving of his job performance. This is basically the same as his ratings overthe last few weeks, however, there have been fewer polls released this month than in April, when a wave of surveys were released around the Republican president's 100th days in office. The outlet's approval rating average has held steadybetween 44%-45%over thelast 30 days, but it does show a downward trend for the president since earlyMarch. Pollster Nate Silver's"Silver Bulletin"newsletter calculated the president has a 46% approval and 50% disapproval average this week, the same as last week's ending May 23.RealClearPolitics'average was again slightly higher, giving the president a 47% approval and 50% disapproval rating, much the same as the week prior. Trumpand his administration continue to face off with courts over a myriad of policies and administrative actions, including his approach to tariffs and immigration. A judge on Thursday, May 29 said the administration cancontinue to levy tariffswhile it challenges a court order that had blocked the import levies, reversing a brief pause. Legal woes continued in the battle between the president and Harvard University this week, with the administration on Tuesday, May 27 attempting to cut remaining contracts with the university after a federal judge last week blocked Trump's attempt to ban the school from enrolling international students. The president this week also pardoneda former GOP governorand a rapper, while commuting the federal sentence of agang leaderconvicted of murder, andcommemorated Memorial Daywith a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. His once-right-hand-manElon Muskofficiallyleft the White Houseafter weeks of distancing, and in a social media post Trump offered Canada inclusion in a proposed missile defense system for free −if it becomes the 51st state. Here's how Trump's approval rating fared in recent polls. 41% approve 54% disapprove Less than a quarter of Americans (22%) said they agreed with Trump's policy of prioritizing white Afrikaners for resettlement in the U.S. over refugees from other countries, according to the poll, and more than half (52%) said the U.S. should not "accept Afrikaners as refugees before resuming acceptance of refugees from other countries." Thesurveyof 1,560 U.S. adults was conducted from May 22-27, and has a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points. Previously:Trump confronts South African leader with false claims of genocide in Oval Office ambush 44% approve 52% disapprove Thesurveyof 1,660 U.S. adults was conducted from May 23-26, and has a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points. 48% approve 51% disapprove For the first time since March, more voters in the poll say they approve than disapprove of Trump's handling of trade policy, going from 47% to 45% approval. Thesurveyof 2,237 U.S. adults was conducted May 23-25 and has a margin of error of ±2 percentage points. 49% approve 50% disapprove Thesurveyof 3,000 registered voters was conducted May 20-29 and has a margin of error of ±1.8 percentage points. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:President Trump approval rating: Polls mostly steady through May 2025
