Trump’s Approval Rating Surges To New Record High, Poll Finds
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has climbed to near-record highs, even in the face of criticism from Democrats, establishment Republicans, and major media outlets over his bold trade policy shifts.
A recent poll conducted by J.L. Partners in partnership with the Daily Mail surveyed 1,000 registered voters between March 31 and April 3. The results show Trump’s approval jumped following the announcement of broad tariffs on several trade partners on April 2.
Trump’s approval rating now stands at 53 percent—up four points from 49 percent in the previous week. The Daily Mail described the result as “surprising,” especially considering the heavy criticism and sharp market downturn late in the week.
The poll also showed notable gains among younger voters. Support among those aged 18 to 29 increased by an impressive 13 points since March 7. This trend follows the strong backing Trump received from that age group in the last election, where there was a 10-point swing in his favor compared to 2020, when they leaned heavily toward Joe Biden.
Trump’s backing also rose by six points among Democrats and independents, according to the survey. In addition, support from black voters surged by 17 points in just one week.
With Trump nearing the 100-day mark of his presidency, American business leaders are expressing growing confidence. Many employers and industry experts say they believe the economy “can win now,” even if it hasn’t “started to win yet.”
“I would give President Trump, right now, a pretty solid B+,” said TaChelle Lawson, founder of FIG Strategy & Consulting and a respondent to the Freedom Economy Index, in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“He came in with a very clear plan, and that was focusing on economics. He’s definitely putting business first, trimming the fat. That’s something that small business owners, business operators understand and respect. I think that it’s clear that his focus is on American business,” she said. “I do, however, think that the messaging could use a little bit of work.”
Lawson was among more than 50,000 small business owners who participated in the latest RedBalloon and PublicSquare quarterly survey. The findings revealed a significant shift in sentiment, with over two-thirds now anticipating either “slow” or “robust” economic growth for the remainder of the year, according to Fox Business.
“We have a very sick economy, and it needs some very strong medicine,” said RedBalloon CEO Andrew Crapuchettes. “And if it gets that medicine, we all feel like we have a very strong economy that will win and will actually be a huge blessing to the entire world.”
He added, “Because when the U.S. economy is strong, when small businesses in the U.S. economy are strong, we feel like we can have a disproportionate and positive impact on the entire planet. There’s a lot of good work that’s being done, but that work still needs to be done for the economy to actually get better.”
As Trump’s first 100 days draw to a close, many small businesses are praising his administration’s efforts to roll back regulations. “They love the fact that one of the things that President Trump and this administration more broadly is tackling is the overregulation, the red tape seeded in bureaucracy that seeks to stifle business growth,” said PublicSquare CEO Michael Seifert.
On the global trade front, Trump announced Friday that Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, has agreed to reduce tariffs as a response to new U.S. duties imposed on Vietnamese imports.
“Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S. I thanked him on behalf of our Country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future,” Trump shared.
The Wall Street Journal reported that “news of the call, which Trump posted about on social media, sent stocks of companies that make some of their goods in Vietnam higher.” Notably, Nike’s shares rose more than 4%. Earlier in the week, the Trump administration had slapped a 46% tariff on Vietnamese goods. Trump reiterated Friday that he anticipates meeting with To Lam soon.