Trump Approval Ratings: As Election Approaches, Do Republican Voters Still Support The President?

Facing multiple crises, President Trump continues to suffer from poor job-approval ratings, although most Republican voters continue to view him favorably. The latest poll from right-leaning Rasmussen Reports shows Trump with a 53% disapproval rating and a 44% approval rating.

Other job approval polls were less favorable for Trump. An NPR/PBS/Marist poll shows Trump with 57% disapproval and 41% approval. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 59% of Americans disapprove of Trump's job performance, with just 39% approving.

Trump, who has strongly catered to his base of supporters, is still seen in a favorable light by most Republicans. A Gallup poll this month showed that 87% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents think Trump is a strong and decisive leader and 82% think he can manage government effectively. However, those numbers are down from February 2017 and now only 72% of Republicans say Trump is honest and trustworthy.

Only 19% of Democrats view Trump as a strong leader, with 10% believing he can manage government effectively.

Trump has been frequently criticized for his handling of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the protests after the death of George Floyd last month. Some prominent Republican supporters have admitted that Trump could be on the path to losing reelection, as he trails presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by double-digits in many polls.

"The trend is obvious," former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie told ABC News on Sunday. "The trend is moving towards Joe Biden when Joe Biden hasn't said a word. Joe Biden's hiding in the basement and not saying anything. No discredit to the vice president — if you're winning without doing anything, why do anything?"

Karl Rove, a former senior advisor for President George W. Bush, noted that the polls are discouraging for the Trump campaign.

“In some states, it is close and within the margin of error. But, let’s be honest about it, the president is behind today. All the national polls suggest he is behind,” Rove told Fox News on Friday.

If the economy manages to improve in the coming months, it could help Trump’s approval ratings and his chances of winning in November. At the same time, coronavirus cases have surged in sunbelt states such as Texas, Arizona and Florida, possibly dragging down the economic recovery.

Meanwhile, controversies surrounding the administration continue to linger. Multiple media outlets have confirmed reports that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. and NATO coalition soldiers in Afghanistan, with the White House not taking retaliatory actions in response. Trump has denied that he was briefed by intelligence about the bounties, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for an investigation into the issue.

On Sunday, Trump approvingly shared a protest video, with one of his supporters yelling “white power” at a group of anti-Trump demonstrators. The tweet drew scourge online, with Trump deleting the post.