President Donald Trump is viewed as a “strong and decisive” leader by fewer voters than at the start of his first term, according to a new Gallup survey.
Gallup found that the share of respondents who said the description “strong and decisive” applies to Trump fell from 59 percent in February 2017 to 48 percent in December 2025.
Why It Matters
Although Trump will not appear on the ballot in the 2026 midterm elections, shifts in public perception of his leadership could still shape the political environment for Republicans. The GOP currently holds narrow margins in Congress: 220 to 213 in the House of Representatives, with two vacancies, and 53 to 47 in the Senate.
With margins that tight, even small losses could complicate Republicans’ ability to advance their agenda during the latter half of Trump’s term.
What To Know
In Gallup’s 2017 survey, 59 percent of respondents said Trump was “strong and decisive,” while 40 percent said the description did not apply. Another 1 percent said they had no opinion.
In the December 2025 survey, 48 percent said Trump was “strong and decisive,” while 51 percent said the description did not apply—an 11-point decline from 2017.
Gallup reported that the 2017 polling surveyed 1,035 people from February 1 to 5 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The 2025 polling surveyed 1,016 people from December 1 to 15 and also had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Trump has faced criticism over several policy and political controversies during his second term, including authorizing the use of National Guard troops in multiple U.S. cities and overseeing a heightened immigration enforcement push. He has also drawn backlash over his handling of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and has increased tensions with Venezuela through a military buildup.
Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., previously told Newsweek that Trump’s “use of ICE and Border Control and deployment of the National Guard is making America feel less, rather than more, safe. As the Holidays approach, he seems on the verge of a needless war in South America putting American lives at risk, and still the taint of the unreleased Epstein files hangs over everything he does.”
Other recent polling has also shown weakness in Trump’s standing. A December AtlasIntel survey found 59.6 percent of respondents disapproved of the president, while 39.3 percent approved—putting his net approval at -20.3 points, compared with -15 points in November, according to the pollster.
Separately, Reuters/Ipsos polling showed 47 percent approval for Trump in January, declining to 39 percent in December.
Morning Consult reported that Trump’s net approval rating was positive in 22 states, a slight uptick from a comparable point in his first term, when his net approval was positive in 21 states.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in November: “So many Fake Polls are being shown by the Radical Left Media, all slanted heavily toward Democrats and Far Left Wingers. … Fake News will never change, they are evil and corrupt but, as I look around my beautiful surroundings, I say to myself, ‘Oh, look, I’m sitting in the Oval Office!’”
What Happens Next
How voters assess Trump’s leadership could continue to shift as his presidency progresses, especially as new policies are implemented and major political disputes unfold.
