A brutal new poll reveals a significant portion of the American public has a remarkably low opinion of the president.
A striking share of Americans now describe billionaire President Donald Trump as “corrupt,” according to a new YouGov/Economist poll published Monday.
The poll, conducted between February 13 and 16 among 1,682 American adults, shows that 49 percent view Trump as “corrupt”—a finding that comes as his personal fortune and political power expand in tandem.
But it is not just Trump’s financial dealings that have Americans ranking Trump’s performance in polls.
“Corrupt” was far from the only harsh label respondents attached to the president. Nearly half of adults—46 percent—said they would describe Trump as “cruel,” while 47 percent said “racist” fit their view of the president. Even more, 50 percent, characterized him as “dangerous.”
On the financial front, Trump has made momentous monetary gains since returning to the White House. The president has generated at least $1.4 billion through licensing deals, legal settlements, and cryptocurrency ventures, according to analysis cited by The New York Times. The New Yorker reported that he has made at least $4 billion.
At the same time, the Trump Organization is pursuing more than 20 overseas projects, including developments in Oman, India, and Saudi Arabia—many of which require cooperation from foreign governments and are already delivering millions to the Trump family, Reuters reports.
In some cases, administration actions have aligned with those countries’ interests, such as easing proposed tariffs on Vietnam shortly after work began on a $1.5 billion Trump-branded golf resort there.
Major corporations have also paid tens of millions to settle lawsuits with Trump, including a $16 million payment from Paramount before regulators approved its $8 billion merger.
In response, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Daily Beast: “The ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world. It is not surprising that President Trump remains the most dominant figure in American politics.”
Critics say the president’s efforts to influence the 2026 midterms raise further questions about the overlap between his personal interests and political power.
Some Trump allies have suggested placing ICE agents at polling sites, while the administration has sought detailed personal information on tens of millions of voters—including birthdates, addresses, and partial Social Security numbers—a move state officials have decried as federal overreach into elections traditionally run at the state level.
At the same time, Republican lawmakers backed by Trump have advanced sweeping voting restrictions. The SAVE America Act, passed by the House, would require proof of citizenship to register vote, a government-issued photo ID to vote in federal elections, and impose limits on mail-in ballots. Trump has also urged Republicans to “take over” voting in multiple jurisdictions and to “nationalize” aspects of the election process long overseen by states
As a result, a new poll conducted by the UC San Diego Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections found that confidence in U.S. elections has plunged to record lows.
It comes as polls show Trump’s popularity slipping in the last weeks, amid backlash over the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies—including January incidents in Minneapolis where two American citizens were killed by federal immigration agents.
The latest YouGov/Economist poll found that 56 percent of Americans strongly or somewhat disapprove of Trump’s job performance.
Meanwhile, polls have shown Trump losing support among key voter groups that propelled him into the White House in 2024, like young men, Hispanics, and non-college-educated Americans.
A trio of surveys released last week showed that Americans think Biden did a better job in the White House than Trump has so far.
