Donald Trump's job performance is up slightly this week, though more continue to disapprove than approve of his handling of the presidency. Many Americans describe Trump as bold, but also as dangerous and corrupt. Americans are split on whether Trump is too old to be president, but regardless of his age, very few are in favor of him seeking to serve a third term.
What you need to know about Americans' views of Trump, as of the December 12 - 15, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- 42% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of Trump's job performance, while 54% disapprove
- The share of Americans who approve of Trump's job performance is up slightly compared to recent months, while the share who disapprove is down slightly
- Out of 13 adjectives asked about, the ones Americans are most likely to use to describe Trump are bold (48%), dangerous (45%), and corrupt (45%)
- The terms Americans are most likely to say do not describe Trump are honest (40%), inspiring (36%), and steady (29%)
- Views on Trump's leadership qualities have remained relatively stable in recent months:
- More say he is a very or somewhat strong leader than a weak leader (48% vs. 38%)
- More say he doesn't have the temperament to be president than say he does (51% vs. 41%)
- More say they're uneasy about his ability to deal wisely with an international crisis than say they are confident in his ability to do so (50% vs. 39%)
- More say he is not honest and trustworthy than say he is (52% vs. 32%)
- Americans are evenly divided on whether Trump is too old to be president: 44% say he is too old and 44% say he is not
- 23% of Americans describe Trump's health as excellent or very good; 19% say it is good, and 45% say it is fair or poor
- These results are similar to when we last asked about Trump's health in early September
- Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say his health is excellent or good (53% vs. 2%) and less likely to say it is fair or poor (12% vs. 79%)
- Trump has raised the possibility of staying in office beyond his current term — a prospect that most Americans don't want
- 41% of Americans expect that Trump will attempt to serve a third term. Far fewer — 14% — think he should attempt to do so
- Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to think Trump will seek to serve a third term (59% vs. 25%)
- Nearly one in three Republicans (31%) think Trump should attempt to serve a third term; only 2% of Democrats and 10% of Independents do
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