President Donald Trump’s standing with one of his most reliable voting blocs—white voters without a college degree—has deteriorated sharply over the past year, according to new YouGov/CBS polling.
In February 2025, Trump held a commanding +36 net approval rating (68 percent approve, 32 percent disapprove) among the group. That advantage narrowed to +26 (58 percent approve, -32 percent disapprove) by September 2025, before slipping further to +10 (55 percent approve, -45 percent disapprove) in February 2026.
The latest data from April 8-10 shows a dramatic reversal: Trump is now underwater with these voters at -4 (48 percent approve, 52 percent disapprove).
The shift marks a significant erosion of support among a demographic that has long formed the backbone of Trump’s political coalition. White voters without college degrees were central to his 2024 win, with 66 percent of the demographic voting for him.
But the steady decline suggests growing dissatisfaction within that base, with Trump losing more than 40 points in net approval among the group since early 2025.
White voters without a college degree are not the only group with which Trump has been losing ground in recent weeks. Other polls have also shown Black, Latino and young male voters, who were crucial to his winning coalition in 2024, abandoning Trump.
Analysis by CNN’s Harry Enten last month also showed that Trump’s approval rating among working-class voters has declined by 26 points since November 2024.
“The working class voters are abandoning Donald Trump,” he said, adding, “Those who have put him over the top in 2024 are saying, You know what? Not for me right now.”
The trend could pose a serious challenge for Trump as he looks to maintain support among core voters heading into the 2026 midterms.
Trump has already seen his approval rating plummet amid his deeply unpopular war in Iran and concerns about the economy.
A CNN/SSRS poll conducted this month found that approval of Trump’s handling of the economy is the lowest it has been in either of his two terms, with just 31 percent approving.
Meanwhile, the CBS/YouGov poll found that most Americans feel uncomfortable with the war in Iran, which has seen oil and gas prices surge.
According to the poll, 68 percent said they feel worried, 57 percent stressed, and 54 percent angry about the conflict. The poll also found that only 32 percent feel either safe or confident about the conflict, and 29 percent feel proud about the United States’ role in it.
Overall, the poll found that 64 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the situation with Iran.
The poll also found that 51 percent of Americans say that the rising gas prices resulting from Trump’s war have been a financial hardship, and 63 percent believe the U.S. economy under the second Trump administration is bad.
