A Nation in Darkness: U.S. Leadership Ratings Plunge to Historic Low as Public Frustration Swells
By Jim Thomas | Tuesday, December 23, 2025
A new Gallup Poll reveals every major national political figure in the United States now languishes below the 50% approval threshold, signaling a profound and widespread disillusionment with leadership across all branches of government. The survey conducted December 1–15 finds no prominent leader commanding majority support among U.S. adults—a rare moment of near-universal public discontent with both parties and all levels of national authority.
President Donald Trump’s job approval rating stands at 36%, unchanged from November and marking the lowest point of his second term. While Republican backing remains robust, independents and Democrats continue to rate him negatively, leaving him well below the critical 50% mark. Congress itself faces a historic crisis: overall approval sits at just 17%, with Republicans at 29% and Democrats at 24%. Gallup notes Democratic congressional approval is the lowest recorded for the party in its history.
Party loyalty fails to shield leaders from public rejection. While 69% of Republicans approve of Republican lawmakers, approval plummets sharply outside their own ranks—only 12% of independents and 6% of Democrats express trust in Congress as an institution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sit near the bottom of the leadership rankings, reflecting deep bipartisan skepticism toward congressional leadership.
Beyond performance metrics, Gallup’s analysis exposes a chasm in public perception. Nearly 90% of Republicans view Trump as strong and decisive, yet only 30% of Americans overall consider him honest and trustworthy. Similar gaps exist across other leaders, indicating distrust has spread far beyond any single figure or institution.
The bleak leadership ratings coincide with deteriorating economic sentiment. Nearly half of respondents describe the economy as “poor,” while 68% report conditions worsening. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index plummeted to negative 33—the lowest level since mid-2024—amplifying public strain on government authority. Only 24% of Americans express satisfaction with national direction, while 74% are dissatisfied—a figure unchanged from November and among the most negative Gallup has recorded this year.
Taken together, these findings depict a political landscape where no major leader commands majority support, regardless of party or position. The data suggests an increasingly volatile environment heading into 2026, with voter frustration broadly directed at national leadership rather than concentrated on any single figure or institution.
The poll was conducted by telephone with a random sample of 1,009 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, including both landline and cellphone respondents interviewed in English and Spanish. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, with higher margins for subgroups.
