Donald Trump’s relationship with the American public appears to be under growing strain, as new polling shows opposition to his presidency has reached its highest level so far.
According to updated averages from Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin, Trump’s net approval rating now stands at –13.7 as of Feb. 9, 2026. While that marks a slight improvement from last week’s –14.6, the shift offers little comfort to the White House.
That is because the number of Americans who strongly oppose Trump has continued to rise.
For the first time since the tracker began, more than 46% of respondents now say they strongly disapprove of the president. Poll analysts say that figure reflects hardened opposition rather than temporary frustration.
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Senior elections analyst Eli McKown-Dawson explained that the modest improvement in Trump’s net rating was driven by a small cluster of friendlier polls, not by a broader change in public mood.
Those surveys included TIPP, which placed Trump at –11, Harvard/HarrisX at –6, and an outlier poll from InsiderAdvantage that showed him slightly positive at +1. Even taken together, analysts say the results fail to alter the wider trend.
Looking across the broader polling landscape, the picture becomes more challenging for Trump.
CNN’s Poll of Polls currently places him at 39% approval and 59% disapproval, producing a net rating of –20. That average draws from national surveys conducted by Pew Research, Reuters/Ipsos, NPR/PBS/Marist, and Marquette Law School.
Even Rasmussen, a polling firm often viewed as more favorable to Republicans, shows Trump underwater. Its daily tracking puts him at 42% approval compared to 57% disapproval, for a net –15.
There is also an uncomfortable historical comparison.
At the same stage of his presidency, Joe Biden held a net approval rating of –12.2. Trump now sits lower at –13.7, adding to concerns among Republican strategists ahead of the midterms.
Nate Silver has warned that Trump’s approval could decline further as additional polls fully reflect public reaction to recent political disputes and policy battles.
The White House has sought to play down the numbers.
In a statement, spokesman Kush Desai said the administration remains focused on its agenda rather than polling trends.
“The Trump administration remains laser-focused on cooling inflation, accelerating economic growth, securing the border, and mass deporting criminal illegal aliens,” Desai said.
Trump, meanwhile, rejected the polling outright.
Writing on Truth Social, he insisted:
“The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received. Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
