Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House hasn’t gone exactly as planned.
The honeymoon period is already showing signs of trouble in key states that helped secure his victory.
And Donald Trump turned red with rage after these new poll numbers hit his desk.
Trump’s approval rating underwater in Republican strongholds
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped below water in both Florida and Texas, two states that were crucial to his election victory just months ago.
According to new polling from Civiqs, Trump’s net approval rating in Texas stands at negative 3 points, with 47 percent approving and 50 percent disapproving of his job performance.
The situation in Florida is nearly as concerning, with a negative 1-point spread showing 48 percent approval against 49 percent disapproval.
These numbers represent a significant downturn since Trump’s inauguration, with his Texas approval rating steadily declining since he announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in early April.
Trump isn’t taking the bad news sitting down.
On April 28, he blasted the surveys on Truth Social.
“The Polls from the Fake News are, like the News itself, FAKE! We are doing GREAT, better than ever before,” he wrote.
But experts aren’t buying the President’s rosy assessment.
Costas Panagopoulos, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, delivered a stark assessment of the situation.
“The overall picture for Trump in these polls is not pretty,” Panagopoulos told Newsweek. “Even if some shifts appear insignificant, the trend lines suggest Trump approval is dropping in almost every state as well as in the national as a whole.”
“Trump approval has dropped precipitously in key states that voted for him, like Texas and Florida, and that can be concerning for Republicans,” he continued. “There’s almost no sign of good news for Trump in these polls.”
GOP voters still loyal but independents fleeing
While the overall numbers look troubling, Trump still maintains strong support among his Republican base.
In Texas, 90 percent of Republicans approve of the job he’s doing, with only 6 percent expressing disapproval.
Similarly, 88 percent of Florida Republicans back the President, with just 8 percent disapproving.
But these strong numbers among party faithful haven’t been enough to keep his overall approval positive as independents have begun to sour on his early performance.
And the problem extends beyond just Florida and Texas.
According to Civiqs, Trump’s approval rating is also underwater in all seven swing states that were battlegrounds in the 2024 election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Midterm troubles brewing for Republicans
Presidential historian Allan Lichtman, famous for his accurate election predictions, sees trouble on the horizon for Republicans if these numbers don’t improve.
“A lot can still happen, although the chances of a significant increase in approval ratings for Trump are dim,” Lichtman told Newsweek. “Low early approval ratings are indicative of midterm losses for the president’s party.”
With the 2026 midterm elections still more than a year away, Republicans are growing concerned that Trump’s declining popularity could endanger their congressional majorities if the trend continues.
Some Republican strategists have begun quietly urging the White House to focus more on popular economic initiatives and less on controversial tariffs that have raised concerns about inflation.
DeSantis presidential hopes fading amid Trump troubles
As Trump struggles with his approval ratings, another prominent Republican is facing his own polling problems.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, once considered a top contender for the 2028 presidential nomination, has consistently polled in single digits in early surveys of the potential Republican field.
The Daily Mail found DeSantis at just 6 percent support among Republican voters when matched against Vice President JD Vance’s 19 percent and Donald Trump’s 39 percent in a hypothetical 2028 primary.
Even with Trump removed from the equation, DeSantis only manages 8 percent, far behind Vance’s commanding 48 percent.
Other polls show similar results.
Atlas Intel has DeSantis at 9 percent, a Yale Youth Poll shows him at 8 percent, and an April Echelon Insights survey also has him at 9 percent.
DeSantis hasn’t ruled out another presidential bid, saying last year that he will “see what the future holds,” but his prospects appear increasingly dim as Vance consolidates support.
A Fabrizio Lee & Associates survey showed that Vance would defeat DeSantis in Florida by a margin of 47 percent to 33 percent – a devastating projection for any candidate hoping to launch a presidential campaign.
