Trump Approval Ratings: How Do Americans Feel About President As Senate Impeachment Trial Begins?

The latest polls show that the majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's job performance, although some surveys edge closer to a tie.

A right-leaning Rasmussen Reports survey shows that 50% disapprove of Trump and 49% approve, a small 1% difference. An Economist/YouGov poll shows 50% disapprove of Trump and 46% approve.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted shows that 56% disapprove of Trump and 41% approve, a large 15% margin. A Politico/Morning Consult poll shows that 54% disapprove of Trump and 43% approve.

This week saw the Senate impeachment trial begin, with senators sworn in under Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. This trial could impact Trump’s approval ratings, depending on if the Senate calls witnesses with compelling testimony. The trial will ultimately determine whether Trump is convicted and removed from office.

Republican senators are under pressure, as Lev Parnas, a former associate of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, has claimed that Trump and various executive branch officials were pressuring Ukraine to conduct an investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Parnas has released photos of himself with Trump, and has released text messages showing that former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance. If Parnas releases more evidence, it could influence how the Senate trial is conducted and ultimately, how Americans view Trump.

Trump has frequently called impeachment a "hoax" or that it is a "coup" by Democrats.

Trump hopes that a relatively strong U.S. economy will help him win re-election. This week, he signed onto a “Phase 1” trade deal with China, which could alleviate some of the negative effects of the ongoing trade war with China. Yet, Trump’s trade policies could impact his likeability in swing states, such as Wisconsin, which have been hit hard by trade tensions.

Trump’s approval ratings have on average been consistently below 50% since March 2017.