Poll finds majority of Americans view Trump’s second term as worse than expected
Washington, D.C.: Two months into Donald Trump’s second term, a new Yahoo News/YouGov survey reveals that a significant number of Americans believe his presidency has been worse than anticipated. The poll, conducted between March 20 and 24 among 1,677 U.S. adults, shows that 41% of respondents feel Trump’s performance has fallen below expectations, while 30% say it has been better. Another 22% say it has been "about the same" as they expected.
Trump’s approval ratings have also declined since his re-election in November. Immediately after the election, 51% of Americans approved of his first-term performance, with 43% disapproving. However, the latest poll indicates a reversal, with 50% now disapproving of his current performance and 44% approving. His personal favourability has also dropped, with 52% viewing him unfavourably and 44% favourably.
Public perception of Trump’s impact on American democracy has shifted noticeably. In November, 43% of respondents said Trump “likes to talk tough” but would not threaten democracy, compared to 39% who felt he posed a real threat. In the latest poll, 47% now believe Trump threatens democracy, while only 39% think otherwise.
Economic concerns appear to be a major factor behind Trump’s declining popularity. Nearly half of Americans identified the cost of living (23%) or the economy (23%) as the country’s most pressing issues. However, only 11% felt Trump prioritised these issues in his second term, with far more citing immigration (37%) and government spending (25%) as his focus.
The poll also highlights persistent economic anxiety among Americans. Only 26% rate the economy as excellent or good, and 47% believe it is worsening. A majority (51%) say inflation is rising, and 66% report that grocery prices continue to climb.
Trump’s approval rating for handling the economy stands at 39%, with 51% disapproving. His approval for managing the cost of living is lower, at 34%. The poll further indicates that Trump’s tariff policies have not improved public sentiment. While 46% agree tariffs may encourage domestic manufacturing, a larger share (49%) believes they will lead to a recession, and 68% feel tariffs will raise personal costs.
Overall, 51% of respondents believe Trump’s tariff policies are negatively affecting the economy, while only 20% view them positively.
The survey sample was weighted by gender, age, race, education, 2024 election turnout and vote, party identification, and voter registration status. The margin of error is approximately 2.6%.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
