President Donald Trump received discouraging polls this week as his completed the first 100 days of his second term. While his declining approval rating and concerns over the economy and tariffs have been trending for a few weeks, there’s also been a shift in the number of people who feel fearful about this second term, according to CNN polling.
By The Numbers:
In December 2024, 29% of Americans said they were afraid about the “rest of Donald Trump’s second term as president.” Nineteen percent were pessimistic, 32% were optimistic, and 19% were enthusiastic.
In February 2025, shortly after Trump was sworn in and while he launched a flurry of executive actions, the number of Americans afraid rose to 35%, while the number of those optimistic fell to 26%.
That trend continues. Today 41% of Americans say they are afraid of what is to come in Trump’s second term. Only 28% are optimistic.
The Bottom Line: The initial inaugural honeymoon has ended–at least in public polling. While the Trump Administration can highlight a number of serious wins from immigration to energy, they must ahold of the economic narrative that has been slipping. Fortunately for them, however, there are no signs as of yet that Democrats have found their footing after last November’s brutal losses. Republicans need to find a cohesive economic message, but they’re still ahead of Democrats on that front for now.
