President Donald Trump’s job approval rating saw a modest increase this week, according to data from an Economist/YouGov poll The survey recorded a 36% approval rating for the president, marking a 2 percentage point improvement over the 34% figure reported in the previous poll on July 28.
Despite this slight recovery, the president’s standing remains near historic lows. Public outlook on the country’s trajectory is largely pessimistic, with 64% of respondents stating the nation is headed in the wrong direction. Conversely, 30% of those surveyed believe the country is “generally” moving in the right direction.
The Economist/YouGov study was conducted between July 31 and August 3, surveying 1,609 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. While the president’s approval remains in the 30% range, Democrats hold only a narrow 4 percentage point lead over Republicans on generic congressional ballots, a margin that has remained unchanged from the prior week.
Economic concerns continue to weigh heavily on the public, with 57% of respondents in the Economist/YouGov poll indicating that economic conditions are worsening, while only 16% perceive improvement. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll released August 3 highlighted a shift in political perception, showing 37% of Americans prefer Democrats over the GOP on economic policy—the first time Democrats have led this metric in a decade of polling.
Fuel costs remain a significant point of contention, as 70% of Americans report that gas prices have risen substantially over the past year. AAA data confirms this trend, noting that the national average price for a gallon of gas reached $4.08 on August 4, a sharp increase from the $3.15 recorded on the same date in 2025.
Major polling averages continue to reflect a negative overall standing for the president as of August 4. RealClearPolitics reports an approval rating of 38.9% against 58.5% disapproval, while the New York Times records 38% approval and 59% disapproval. Similarly, the Silver Bulletin shows 38.1% approval and 58.5% disapproval.
This report was compiled with contributions from ’s Kinsey Crowley and Reuters. Fernando Cervantes Jr., a trending news reporter for, provided additional coverage.
4, showed that 36% of Americans approved of his job performance.
Although Trump’s approval rating is still hovering near record lows, the president’s numbers did improve by 2 percentage points compared with last week’s Economist/YouGov poll.
The previous poll, released July 28, showed that just 34% of Americans approved of Trump’s job performance.
However, outside of the generic congressional ballot, Americans say Democrats are better for the economy than Republicans.
