Donald Trump is clearly an unpopular president. He currently sits at -12.3% on Silver Bulletin, and his approval rating has nosedived since his inauguration almost one year ago. However, he is not a uniquely unpopular president, in comparison to his predecessors. Trump’s RCP polling average for his second term is 44%. Yes, that is quite low, but compare it to Bush at 43% and Obama at 42%. It must be noted that Trump is serving an unusual nonconsecutive second term which has likely given his approval rating a boost (at least very early on in his term). The reality is that Trump is not as unpopular as many on the left would like to believe. He is, at the very least, not uniquely unpopular. His net approval rating didn’t even dip below -10% until July, and he remains at a 42% approval rating, one which has never touched into the thirties.
This could absolutely still change. With the economy seeming to dip and job prospects looking more and more unattainable, his approval rating could go down even more. As strategist James Carville famously said, “it's the economy, stupid”. However, if Trump is able to successfully implement healthcare and economic policy that helps Americans, he could be looking at a term that remains unpopular–but not shockingly so. If he implements a pragmatic Federal Reserve chair who isn’t just a political tool who drops interest rates in order to see short term gains in the economy, it's possible Trump could create a successful American economy that works for the middle and lower class.
He recently introduced a healthcare plan that, if successful, could accomplish what he seeks in the domestic economy. However, if his description of the word affordability as a “Democrat hoax” a “con job” and a “fake word” provides any inclination into his future presidency, it seems to be clear that Trump is sticking to his beloved foreign policy and not focusing enough on what matters to the average American
In conclusion, Trump is not as unpopular as many would believe. He remains in the low-medium level of popularity, and he is still ahead of many of his predecessors, although as previously stated the fact that he is serving a non-consecutive term means that his approval rating should be compared to both second and first terms of previous presidents.