Trump will get an ‘F’ on his first 100 days from plurality of People, ballot finds

As President Donald Trump celebrates his first 100 days in workplace, a brand new PBS Information/NPR/Marist ballot finds {that a} plurality of People give him a failing grade.

Forty-five p.c of U.S. adults rated Trump’s return to the Oval Workplace an “F,” together with 80 p.c of Democrats and 49 p.c of independents. On the different excessive, 23 p.c of People, together with 54 p.c of Republicans, gave the president an “A.”

About half of U.S. adults say Trump’s second time period has had a largely damaging impact on their lives, and a majority consider he’s dashing to make adjustments with out contemplating the consequences of his actions.

WATCH: Breaking down the primary 100 days of Trump’s 2nd time period and the consequences of his agenda

To Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, that polarization — Republicans supporting Trump, whereas Democrats oppose him — is predicted. Nevertheless, the truth that independents are “under no circumstances in his nook proper now could be one thing that will in the end function a wake-up name” to some members of Congress who must face voters within the midterm elections, he mentioned.

When Trump was approaching 100 days throughout his first time period in 2017, Marist polling discovered that the odds of People flocking to the very best or worst grades — giving him both an A or an F — had been each decrease than as we speak. As an alternative, there was a higher mixture of Bs, Cs and Ds. Amongst independents, about 3 in 10 gave him a failing grade eight years in the past.

Midterms are a good distance off, however independents proper now are giving the president a “thumbs down,” Miringoff mentioned.

Daniel Nowokunski, an impartial who voted for Kamala Harris within the 2024 election, offers Trump an “F” for his second 100-day efficiency.

Graphic by Jenna Cohen/ PBS Information

The Vermont resident mentioned getting fundamental questions answered about Social Safety advantages has been a problem because the Division of Authorities Effectivity, led by Elon Musk, seeks to shrink the federal company in staffing and doable workplace closures. Utilizing the company’s cellphone providers, Nowokunski mentioned he was positioned on maintain for an hour and 20 minutes earlier than getting disconnected and having to start out over once more.

Nowokunski mentioned he’d give Trump’s efficiency a greater grade “if he lived as much as one factor he was going to do, only one factor.”

Extra key takeaways:

• Simply greater than half — 51 p.c — of U.S. adults say Trump is transferring the nation in a course that may be a change for the more serious, in comparison with 42 p.c who say it’s a change for the higher. Amongst voters who make lower than $50,000 a yr, 50 p.c say it’s a worse change, whereas 43 p.c say it’s a greater change.
• Almost half – 49 p.c – of People mentioned the insurance policies Trump has carried out thus far have had a largely damaging impression on their lives. One other 32 p.c mentioned there’s been a largely optimistic impression, whereas 20 p.c mentioned they’d skilled no impression personally.
• About 6 in 10 People say Trump is dashing to make adjustments with out contemplating their impression — a 5-point soar from when this query was final requested in March. Near 4 in 10 People say Trump is doing what must get carried out to get the federal government again on monitor.

“The shine has come off,” mentioned Amy Walter of the Prepare dinner Political Report with Amy Walter. “What voters are saying proper now could be that whereas ‘transfer quick and break issues’ could also be common for some Silicon Valley tech executives, it’s actually not common with voters when they consider the federal government and the financial system particularly.”

Trump’s sinking rankings

Trump’s job approval numbers worsened barely from a month in the past, when he was having fun with a political honeymoon.

A majority of People — 53 p.c — disapprove of his management, a four-point drop since March, simply exterior the margin of error. One other 42 p.c approve, a three-point drop that’s throughout the margin of error. The share of People who strongly approve of Trump dropped six factors.

Graphic by Jenna Cohen/ PBS Information

After months of Trump’s marketing campaign guarantees, voters have had a couple of months to see how his insurance policies and presidency have affected their lives.

“Are we a brief blip or is that this a pattern?” Miringoff mentioned of those findings.

WATCH: Probably the most consequential moments from the primary 100 days of Trump’s second time period

The subsequent month or so will reveal how People general react to Trump’s insurance policies and whether or not his administration can present “higher readability” on priorities like tariffs, he added.

When requested about Trump’s dealing with of the financial system, 39 p.c mentioned they authorized. One other 55 p.c disapproved, whereas 6 p.c had been not sure. That is near a 10-point drop from the place his financial system approval rankings hovered in 2019 and 2020, within the remaining years of his first time period, in keeping with Marist’s polling knowledge.

Though the president repeatedly promised to show round People’ monetary prospects on Day 1, the costs of many key necessities haven’t come down 100 days later.

Sixty-four p.c of People say they suppose grocery costs will rise within the subsequent six months, together with 64 p.c of independents and 89 p.c of Democrats. Amongst Trump’s base, the response is extra diverse. Thirty-five p.c of Republicans suppose costs will improve, whereas 31 p.c say they’ll lower and one other 34 say they’ll stay about the identical.

WATCH LIVE: White Home holds information briefing with Bessent, marking Trump’s 100 days in workplace

The core motive Trump gained in 2024 was as a result of voters believed “he held higher promise for addressing” their issues concerning the financial system and inflation in comparison with President Joe Biden, Republican strategist Kevin Madden mentioned. He added that nostalgia for Trump’s pre-COVID financial system performed a task.

President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs on the White Home. Photograph by Brendan Smialowski/ AFP through Getty Photos

But Trump’s tariffs and commerce insurance policies have jump-started a brand new stage of concern and anxiousness amongst People, particularly amongst independents and the “most nomadic components of the voters,” or moderates of each main political events, Madden mentioned.

Nowokunski, who lives in a small, rural city, outlets at a grocery retailer about 45 minutes away. A carton of eggs has price near $7, whereas larger ticket objects have dealt a good higher sticker shock.

“Every thing’s simply so costly now,” he mentioned, particularly with meals costs.

What the ballot additionally discovered concerning the financial system:

• 58 p.c of People disapproved of Trump’s dealing with of tariffs, whereas 34 p.c authorized. One other 8 p.c had been not sure.
• An analogous share of People — 60 p.c — suppose the present financial situations are largely a results of Trump’s personal insurance policies, quite than a state of affairs he inherited.
• 57 p.c of People suppose tariffs damage the U.S. financial system, in comparison with 33 p.c who say they assist the financial system. Twenty-two p.c of Republicans mentioned they consider tariffs damage the financial system, whereas 56 p.c say they assist.

“I do suppose voters are fairly clear-eyed about the truth that no matter is going on within the financial system, whether or not it’s near residence or whether or not it’s worldwide, that it’s the results of Donald Trump and his insurance policies,” Walter mentioned. “In different phrases, it’s not that he’s reactive to a present financial state of affairs as a lot as he’s making his personal financial climate system.”

Mark Knapchuck Jr. is a Michigan impartial who voted for Trump in 2017. He appreciated his vitality and thought he’d be an amazing chief. Within the 2024 race, he voted for Trump’s opponent, former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, partly as a result of he felt Harris had a greater course on what wanted to be carried out with the financial system.

READ MORE: Analyzing Trump’s progress on his guarantees, 100 days in

A truck driver for about 20 years, Knapchuck mentioned tariffs have damage the entire vegetation the place he makes deliveries. He’s additionally stopped buying as a lot electronics and plans to not purchase any extra automobiles till his present car can now not be mounted. Customers typically need to foot the invoice for tariffs, he added.

“On the finish of the day, it’s us that has to pay,” Knapchuck mentioned.

How voters see Trump dealing with immigration, one other key problem for the president

Trump is performing barely higher general with voters on immigration, and continues to have sturdy assist from Republicans on his dealing with of the problem, with 87 p.c approving.

However for all of the discuss within the Trump orbit that immigration is a successful problem amongst voters, it’s not a majority of assist, Walter mentioned.

General, 44 p.c of People approve of his dealing with of immigration, in comparison with 52 p.c who disapprove. That quantity is sort of as sturdy as the proportion of people that disapprove of his dealing with of the financial system (55 p.c), Walter identified.

“He was a lot better convincing People concerning the failings of the Biden administration than he has concerning the successes or lack thereof of his first 100 days,” Miringhoff mentioned.

If there’s a glimmer of fine information for Trump within the ballot, Madden mentioned, it’s that there appears to be a Republican-based “antibody impact” across the president’s insurance policies. These are the Republican voters rallying to the president’s protection and retaining a robust base in place, he mentioned.

The issue proper now for Trump is within the “large center,” Madden added.

These are voters who had been with Trump in November 2024, however resulting from “their views of the financial system, they’re now beginning to migrate once more,” both going again to Democrats or deciding to turn into undecided once more, he mentioned.

“That’s why it’s important to be very cautious with the way you make investments the political capital that you just get from one election to the subsequent,” he added.

Another findings from this ballot:

Graphic by Jenna Cohen/ PBS Information

• Almost half of People say they’ve modified their buying selections because of the Trump administration’s tariff actions. Twenty-one p.c say they sped up making a call, whereas 28 p.c mentioned they delayed making a call. One other 51 p.c say tariffs haven’t affected their decision-making.
• 85 p.c of People say they strongly or considerably agree that the president of america ought to obey federal courtroom rulings even when they don’t prefer it. That quantity consists of 79 p.c of Republicans and 84 p.c of independents.
• Elon Musk’s favorability score continues to sink. Thirty-seven p.c of People say they’ve a good view of Musk, down from 39 p.c in March. That change is mirrored by public opinion on the Division of Authorities Effectivity, which is favored on this ballot by 36 p.c, down from 39 p.c in March.
• 49 p.c of People disapprove of how the Trump administration has dealt with the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. 35 p.c say they approve of the dealing with and one other 15 p.c are not sure.

PBS Information, NPR and Marist Ballot performed a survey from April 21 by way of April 23, 2025, that polled 1,439 U.S. adults with a margin of error of three.3 proportion factors, and 1,324 registered voters with a margin of error of three.5 proportion factors.