President Donald Trump's approval rating among white voters has dropped significantly this summer, according to new polling data from ActiVote. The survey indicates a seven-percentage-point decline in support for the president since the beginning of the season, marking a notable shift within a demographic that has historically been a core component of his electoral coalition. This trend aligns with other recent surveys suggesting weakening views of Trump among this specific voting bloc.
Summer Polling Trends
In June, white respondents were nearly evenly divided on the president's job performance, with 47 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving. By July, approval had fallen eight percentage points to 39 percent, while disapproval rose to 54 percent. ActiVote’s August poll maintained this trend, finding that 40 percent of white voters approved of Trump's performance, while 54 percent disapproved.
The August data was collected from 1,000 ActiVote users between August 1 and August 31. Participants rated the president on a five-star scale, which ActiVote converted into standard approval metrics. These findings are supported by Economist/YouGov polls, which reported that Trump's net approval among white Americans fell to minus 19 in early August, described as the lowest recorded level for him among this group.
Implications for Midterm Elections
This shift comes at a critical time ahead of the midterm elections. While Trump himself will not be on the ballot in November, political experts suggest his standing could influence Republican turnout and support for GOP candidates. D. Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, noted that while the Republican base remains strong—with 86 percent approval in an Emerson College poll—slippage among less consistent voters is concerning, as this newspaper reported in Trump's Approval Rating Shifts With Five Key Voter Groups In New Polling Data.
Voss highlighted that Trump is losing support among different voter mixes than usual, including rural areas and white voters without college degrees. "The new pattern of presidential disapproval, if it proves durable, could hurt Republicans in districts where they've been strong for more than half a decade," Voss stated. The broader context includes economic concerns and dissatisfaction with U.S. military action in Iran, factors that Quinnipiac University polling linked to 60 percent of voters opposing military intervention.
White House Response
The White House has pushed back against the negative polling numbers. On August 30, Trump criticized what he termed "fake polls" in a Truth Social post, calling for FCC intervention and accusing Democrats of launching demoralization operations to suppress Republican turnout. A White House spokesperson referenced this post when asked about the recent data, maintaining that the spirit among supporters remains high despite external polling metrics.
