A Fox News poll conducted April 17–20, 2026 found that 56% of voters doubt the White House’s ability to manage the federal government, with only about 43% rating competence. Across party lines, independents and Democrats view the administration less favorably, while Trump’s broader ratings show broad negativity on immigration, China, foreign policy, and the economy, though border security is viewed more positively. The survey also reports negative perceptions of top cabinet officials and notes substantial partisan divides, including MAGA Republicans who diverge from non-MAGA Republicans on several figures. The findings come as voters scrutinize executive performance amid ongoing Middle East tensions and domestic policy debates, with momentum described as fragile. The study emphasizes perennial public harshness toward presidents and notes historical parallels in competence perceptions.
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Conducted April 17–20, 2026 by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), the poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters via landlines, cellphones, and online responses, with a margin of error ±3 percentage points for the full sample.
Overall, 43% of respondents say the White House has been competent at running the government, while 56% express the opposite; the composition shows independents and Democrats broadly skeptical compared with Republicans, including a subset of non-MAGA Republicans.
President Trump faces negative ratings across immigration (46% approve, 54% disapprove), China (42/57), foreign policy (40/60), Iran (37/63), the economy (34/66), government spending (33/67), and inflation (28/72); his only notable positive is border security (53/47).
Top cabinet figures also receive negative reviews: Vice President Vance (44/55), Secretary of State Rubio (44/56), and Defense Secretary Hegseth (41/58), with MAGA Republicans rating them higher than non-MAGA peers.
Traits-based questions show 60% say Trump lacks the right temperament, 57% say he lacks the right judgment, and 55% say he lacks mental soundness; Democrats largely view him unfavorably on these traits, while 9 in 10 MAGA Republicans view him as possessing them, highlighting sharp intra-party divides.
Compared to historical benchmarks, 43% competence aligns with prior administrations (Obama in 2015 at 44%, Biden in 2022 at 38%), indicating these views are not unusual and reflect general partisan dynamics in evaluating executive performance.
The report notes the impact of wording, ordering, and weighting on results, emphasizing that public judgments toward presidents tend to be harsh across partisan lines and that independents are particularly challenging to win.