President Donald Trump conceded that his approval ratings have slipped while speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum on Nov. 19.

"I always take a little heat from my people, the people that love me and the people that I love," Trump said, while appearing to defend allowing high-skilled workers from other countries to work at new U.S. manufacturing plants. "So, my poll numbers just went down, but with smart people, they've gone way up."

It was a departure from some of his previous comments, where he claimed to have great poll numbers as he flirted with a third term. (The U.S. Constitution limits him to two terms.)

So what is Trump's approval rating? Here is what we know:

What is Trump's approval rating?

Averages based on RealClearPolitics and New York Times aggregators show Trump's approval rating is net negative, and after months of being relatively stable, has dropped quickly in recent weeks.

As of Jan. 27, 50.5% approved, giving Trump a net positive rating until March 13, when it flipped to net negative with 47.8% approval, compared to 48.5% disapproval, RealClearPolitics graphics show. The approval rating reached a low on April 29 at 45.1% approval, which fell around Trump's 100-day mark. It reached a new low of 42.3% on Nov. 14, as the controversy on Jeffrey Epstein's emails heated up following the end of the government shutdown. While it rebounded slightly since then, the disapproval rate has risen to a new high of 55.4% on Nov. 20.

The New York Times aggregator showed Trump's approval fell from 52% approval in January to 44% approval in April, and then mostly held steady for months. According to the Times, Trump's term low is 41% approval, which he first reached on Nov. 12. His disapproval also notched up this week, reaching 56% on Nov. 19, a high for this term per the aggregator.

How does President Donald Trump's approval rating compare to past presidents?

In a Gallup poll conducted from Oct. 1-16, 41% approved of Trump's job performance, up slightly from the previous month.

A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in October of his first years in office − both as the 45th and 47th presidents − are lower than any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. Here is how his October approval compares to other presidents in October of their first year of their term, according to Gallup:

  • Joe Biden (October 2021) - 42% approve
  • Trump (October 2017) - 37% approve
  • Barack Obama (October 2009) - 53% approve
  • George W. Bush (October 2001) - 88% approve
  • Bill Clinton (October 1993) - 48% approve
  • George H.W. Bush (October 1989) - 68% approve
  • Ronald Reagan (October 1981) - 55% approve

Fox News: Economy driving disapproval

A Fox News national survey found 41% of voters approve of the job Trump is doing, while 58% disapprove. The poll was conducted Nov. 14-17 with Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Co. Research (R), and included 1,005 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Seventy-six percent of respondents view the economy negatively, worse than 67% who felt that way in July, and 70% who said so at the end of Biden's term.

When asked how Trump's economic policies have impacted them, voters were most likely to say it hurt them, at 46%, compared to 15% saying it helped and 39% who said it made no difference.

Reuters: Pollsters declare lowest rating in second term

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Nov. 14-17 found 38% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing. It was the lowest from the pollster of Trump's second term, but the drop from early November is within the margin of error. The poll surveyed 1,017 U.S. adults nationwide with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.

Notably, the poll comes as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives pass a measure forcing the release of the Epstein files, which Trump had opposed for months before reversing his stance. His approval among Republicans was at 82% in the recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, down from 87% earlier this month.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Bluesky and TikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump admits his poll numbers are down. What is his approval rating?

Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect