Majority of Americans: Trump Steering US in Wrong Direction

By Staff, Agencies

A new nationwide survey released on the eve of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address indicates that a majority of Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction under his second term.

The poll, conducted by NPR, PBS News, and Marist Poll between January 27 and 30, found that 55% of US adults think Trump is changing the country "for the worse."

That marks a 13-point increase compared with roughly the same period during his first presidency. The shareholding that view has also risen four points since April.

Political divisions remain sharp. According to the survey, 90% of Democrats say the country is worse off than a year ago, while 82% of Republicans believe conditions have improved.

The findings also point to declining trust in core democratic institutions. In March 2025, 43% of Americans said they agreed that “the system of checks and balances dividing power between the president, Congress and the courts is working well." In the latest poll, only 32% said they felt that way.

Separate research from the Pew Research Center in January found that just 27% of US adults support all or most of Trump’s policies and plans.

Notably, some indicators show softening support within the Republican base. In February 2025, 75% of Republican and Republican-leaning respondents said Trump had the mental fitness required for office. By January, that number had declined to 66%. Over the same period, the share of Republicans who believe Trump acts ethically in office fell from 55% to 42%.