Trump approval rating stuck near record low
President Trump's approval rating remains stuck near the lowest point of his presidency, according to a host of polls released in the last several days.
Only 38 percent of Americans in a Gallup poll released Thursday said they approve of the president's job performance. Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove.
Similarly, the president's approval rating stood at 40 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, while his disapproval rating stood at 56 percent.
And in an Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday, 39 percent of Americans said they approve of the job he's doing, while 52 percent said they disapprove.
These polls and other recent surveys paint a fairly grim picture for Mr. Trump: his presidential approval rating is not the lowest it's ever been, but it's close.
In a RealClearPolitics average of polls, his approval rating stands today at 39.9 percent, and his disapproval stands at 54.4 percent. Just two days ago, on Tuesday, the president hit his nadir in that average, with 38.6 percent voicing approval and 56 percent voicing the opposite.
The Economist survey also asked Americans about their view of the interactions between Mr. Trump and James Comey, the former FBI director who testified before Congress last week after being fired by Mr. Trump amid an ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans said they believe the Russia investigation was a factor behind Comey's termination (51 percent said it was a major factor, 18 percent said it was a minor factor.) Only 17 percent said it wasn't a factor. Sixty-nine percent also said Comey's alleged refusal to pledge his personal loyalty to President Trump was a factor in his firing. Fifteen percent said that alleged refusal of loyalty played no role. The president has denied he asked Comey for his loyalty.
Overall, 43 percent of Americans said Comey's firing wasn't justified, while 34 percent said it was. Forty-six percent said they believe the president has attempted to influence the FBI's Russia investigation, while 32 percent said they do not believe that has happened. And 43 percent said they believe James Comey's version of events over the president's, while 30 percent voiced more belief in the president.
The Gallup poll surveyed 1,500 Americans nationwide between June 12 and 14, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent. The Reuters poll surveyed 1,451 Americans nationwide between June 8 and 12, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent. And the Economist survey polled 1,500 Americans between June 11 and 13, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.