Majority believes Trump moving US in wrong direction, poll finds

Most US adults think Donald Trump is moving the country in the wrong direction during his second presidency, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released the day before his State of the Union speech.

Fifty-five percent of adults feel that Trump is changing the country for the worse, a 13-point increase from around the same time of his first presidency, the survey conducted from 27 to 30 January found.

The number of people who held that view also increased four points from April.

Unsurprisingly, support for the president splits down party lines.

Ninety percent of Democrats think the country is worse off than a year ago; 82% of Republicans feel things have improved.

Faith in the democratic system of government also decreased during the first year of Trump’s second term.

In March 2025, 43% of US adults said they agreed that “the system of checks and balances dividing power between the president, Congress and the courts is working well”.

Only 32% said they felt that way in the new survey.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in January also found that Trump’s second term actions are not popular. Only 27% of US adults said they supported all or most of his policies and plans.

He has lost some support even among Republicans. In February 2025, 75% of people who are Republican or lean in that direction said they thought he had the mental fitness needed to do the job. In January, the number had decreased to 66%.

The number of Republicans who think Trump acts ethically in office also decreased from 55% to 42% over the same period.