President Trump signs executive order targeting ticket scalping
“It is a big problem.” President Donald Trump signed an executive order with Kid Rock that addresses ticket scalping.
- Approval ratings show mixed views on President Donald Trump’s performance.
- Presidential approval ratings date back to the 1930s, seeking to convey public opinion on the president.
Over two months into his second term, President Donald Trump is facing mixed approval ratings, according to recent polls nationally and in Michigan.
Nationwide, some recent polls show more than half the country disapproving, while in others Trump maintains a majority approval rating or a split between views.
A recent Michigan poll by Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing-based public relations firm, shows over half of Michigan residents disapprove of Trump and have a negative view of the president.
This comes as Trump moves forward with tariffs, federal agency cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and billionaire Elon Musk continues to play a central role in his administration.
One of just two presidents to serve non-consecutive terms, his first months have provided a unique opportunity to compare his approval ratings against himself at the same point in his first presidency.
Out of the gate, Trump’s net approval ratings this time were higher than his ratings in 2017, but still lower than any other president in history.Â
The Michigan survey was conducted by live phone interviews with a random sample of all registered voters with a history of voting, stratified by city and township, Marketing Resource Group said.
Here’s what to know.
What is President Trump’s approval rating in Michigan?
Marketing Resource Group conducted a poll in Michigan March 24-28, 2025. The poll showed:
- 51% of Michiganders disapprove of President Trump’s job performance, while 42% approve (602 likely voters; margin of error ± 4 percentage points.)
- 51% have negative feelings toward Trump, while 39% have positive feelings.
The poll by Marketing Resource Group also asked Michiganders questions about the direction of Michigan and the country, along with their views on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Responses varied among political party affiliation and geographic areas within Michigan.
In Michigan, 46% think the state is heading in the right direction, while 36% think Michigan is heading in the wrong direction. Per the poll, this is the first time in five years that more respondents felt the state is going in the right direction than not.
Whitmer has 57% approval on her job performance, while 33% disapprove. This marks her highest approval rating in five years, according to the poll.
Nationwide, 56% of respondents feel the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, while 37% think the country is heading in the right direction.
How is a president’s approval rating determined?
According to data agency Gallup, a presidential approval rating is a “simple measure, yet a very powerful one that has played a key role in politics for over 70 years.”
A president’s approval rating reflects the percentage of Americans polled who approve of the president’s performance. Anything can impact a president’s rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections.
According to ABC News, an approval rating doesn’t just represent how well the administration is doing for the general public, but could determine the outcome of an upcoming election for a politician or how much they get done during their time in office.
What are the origins of presidential approval ratings?
Presidential approval ratings were first conducted by the founder of the American Institute of Public Opinion, George Gallup, around 1935 to gauge public support for the president of the United States during his term.Â
While Gallup has tracked presidential approval for decades, other organization release their own polls as well, including Ipsos and Morning Consult.
Project FiveThirtyEight also finds averages of these polls, highlighting the specific issues citizens are most concerned about. For example, Project FiveThirtyEight found Trump’s most polled-on issue area was immigration.
What are President Trump’s nationwide approval ratings?
Recent approval ratings, according to different polling show:
- Respondents were equally split on whether they approve or disapprove of how Trump is handling his job. (Poll conducted March 27-28; 2,609 U.S. adults; margin of error ±2.3 percentage points.)
- The poll showed most Americans think Trump is focusing too much on tariffs and not enough on lowering prices, but the majority approve of his work on immigration, according to CBS News.
- More respondents disapproved of Trump’s job performance than approved by a 6 percentage point margin. (Poll conducted March 21-23; 1,030 U.S. adults; margin of error of ±3 percentage points.)
- 82% of respondents agreed with the statement that the “president of the United States should obey federal court rulings even if the president does not want to,” according to Reuters.
- 49% of respondents view Trump unfavorably, while 48% view him favorably (Poll conducted March 22-25; 1,600 U.S. adults; ±3.5 percentage points).
- Democrats in Congress remain unpopular, with a minus 19 net favorability, and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer at a minus 27 net favorability, according to YouGov.
- On immigration, 51% of respondents strongly or somewhat approve of Trump’s handling of the matter, while 44% disapprove. On Trump’s approach to immigration policy, 46% say it is too harsh, while 41% say it’s about right.
Napolitan News Service/RMG Research:
- More respondents approved of Trump’s job at 52% approve compared to 45% disapprove. (Poll conducted March 17-28; 2,000 registered voters; margin of error ±1.8 percentage points.)
RealClearPolitics aggregates polls from a number of sources on the president and issues.
USA Today and the Detroit Free Press contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi:Â jprestininzi@freepress.com.
