Trump’s 36% Approval Rating is a Warning Sign for Michigan Republicans

February 17, 2026

Press Release

Lansing, Mich. — Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36% — a clear warning sign for Michigan Republicans rubber stamping his MAGA agenda and the economic chaos that comes with it.

Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans say the economy is “fair or poor,” and 59% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy as families feel the impact of rising costs and his damaging tariffs. November’s will be a clear referendum on Trump — and Michigan Republicans who continue to back him.

“Trump’s approval rating isn’t dropping in a vacuum,” said Amber Gantt, spokesperson for the Michigan House Democrats. “Voters are reacting to the Republican Party’s disastrous policies and economic chaos enacted not only in Washington, but right here in Michigan. When voters send a message this November, it won’t just be about Washington — it will be about every Republican who chose Trump over Michigan families.”

Read The Highlights Below:

USA Today: You do the (midterm) math: Trump’s 36% approval, MAGA’s $304 million

• Start with Trump’s approval: 36%. That was the president’s rating in the Associated Press/NORC survey taken Feb. 5-8, the latest of the public polls considered most credible.
• That level of support, if it persists, would be a seven-decade low for a president at a midterm and a red alarm for the GOP.
• […] a president’s popularity has consistently forecast how his party’s candidates are going to fare. Midterms are not only elections but also referenda on the White House, the prime opportunity for voters to weigh in on how they think the commander in chief is doing.
• The benchmark of how consumers are feeling has sunk 20% since Trump took office again a year ago, reflecting continued concern about the economy now and pessimism about what’s ahead.
• Lower-income workers have seen slower wage growth, and more households are falling behind on their debts.
• Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans now describe economic conditions as only fair or poor. Assessments of Trump’s handling of the economy, once a strength, is now a liability. Disapproval hit a record 59% in an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll taken Jan. 27-30. Most said Trump’s signature tariffs had hurt.
• […]To the president’s annoyance, surprisingly solid economic statistics have failed to persuade many Americans to adopt a rosier outlook.