Trump waves off polls as public reality keeps contradicting his boasts about approval
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President Donald Trump dismissed recent polling that shows his approval stuck in the low 30s, insisting—despite the evidence—that his support is far stronger, especially among Republicans.
President Donald Trump brushed aside recent polling that put his job approval in the mid-30s percent, calling the numbers "fake" during an interview with The Washington Examiner’s Byron York. Trump claimed his approval is closer to 60 percent and suggested, with characteristic bluster, that no opponent could beat him.
Polls released by Reuters/Ipsos, Pew Research Center and The New York Times/Siena College all showed approval rates between 30 and 34 percent, with disapproval rates ranging from 65 to 68 percent. The New York Times noted the 34-percent figure was the lowest for a president approaching midterm elections since 1946.
Trump pointed to an analysis by CNN data analyst Harry Enten, which showed overwhelming support among MAGA-identified Republicans – 99 percent of that group voted for him in the 2024 election and 98 percent approved of his performance in September. He also cited Enten’s finding that his net approval on inflation had dropped sharply, underscoring the gap between his rhetoric and the public record.
"It’s fake," Trump said when asked about a RealClearPolitics average showing 38.8 percent approval.
"I think I’d be in the 60s now. Now, in the Republican Party, I’m way up. Show him the 99 percent. Have you seen it?"
"They did do some nice polls on me, I must say. If CNN keeps doing those polls, I’ll like them more and more," Trump added.
The president’s remarks come amid a broader controversy over fabricated polling data from Wedgewood Research, which The New York Times said it did not use in its calculations.