What is President Donald Trump’s current approval rating? See the most recent polls

President Donald Trump’s average approval rating held mostly steady this week as he adds a fourth completed month to his second term.

Trump began his term with a 47% approval rating, according to Gallup, and saw his popularity dip through to his 100th day in office, when his job approval numbers reached historic lows not seen by any other president over the past several decades.

However, after his approval numbers sank, the Republican leader has seen a slight uptick in approval rating metrics since late April. The latest national polls from groups like Reuters/Ipsos, Fox News, Cygnal, The Economist and more have the president’s overall approval rating marked as unfavorable, but the margins are small.

Here’s what to know about Trump’s approval rating, including how they are decided and how Trump’s ratings compare with his first term and past presidents.

What is Donald Trump’s approval rating?

Here are the latest approval ratings released about Trump’s administration:

• A Reuters/Ipsos poll from reported that, as of May 18, 42% of those surveyed gave him a favorable approval rating of his performance in office.

• The Economist shows that 43% of people are favorable of Trump and 50% are unfavorable of him, according to the latest update from Tuesday, May 20.

• A Rasmussen Reports poll from May 23 showed 50% approval and 49% disapproval of Trump.

How does Trump’s approval rating compare with his 1st term?

Trump had a final approval rating of 34% when he left office in 2021. His approval average during his first term was 41%.

How does Trump’s approval rating compare with past presidents?

• Donald Trump (first term) – 34%

Are presidential approval ratings accurate?

Data agency Gallup notes that these approval ratings are a “simple measure, yet a very powerful one that has played a key role in politics for over 70 years.”

A president’s approval rating reflects the percentage of Americans polled who approve of the president’s performance. Anything can impact a president’s rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections.

According to ABC News, an approval rating doesn’t just represent how well the administration is doing for the general public, but could determine the outcome of an upcoming election for a politician or how much they get done during their time in office.

While these ratings are easy to understand, Quorum says some analysts believe they are not as useful as they once were due to extreme partisanship and the polarized political climate.

“Presidential approval ratings have always been partisan, with members of the president’s party offering more positive assessments than those in the opposing party,” according to the Pew Research Center. “But the differences between Republicans and Democrats on views of the president have grown substantially in recent decades.”

USA TODAY Network reporter Maria Francis contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Donald Trump’s approval rating: See the latest polls