Trump presidency tracker 2026: approval ratings, leaving office early, and impeachment

Donald Trump's second four-year term began on January 20, 2025, and Section 1 of the Twentieth Amendment establishes that the term concludes at noon on January 20, 2029. Under the U.S. Constitution, three specific procedures can end a presidential term prior to that date: resignation, the disability mechanism established in Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, and impeachment by the House of Representatives followed by conviction in the Senate.

Trump's second term has been defined by rapid executive actions, major legislative shifts like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and sweeping changes to federal agencies. His administration has prioritized aggressive immigration enforcement, major tariff policy overhauls, and significant foreign policy actions, including military operations involving Iran and new diplomatic frameworks in the Middle East.

How is presidential approval measured, and what moves it?

Presidential approval is measured by polling a representative random sample of adults on a single question: whether they approve or disapprove of the way the president is handling his job. Polling organizations report an approval percentage, a disapproval percentage, and an undecided share for a specific field period. Statistical aggregators compile results from multiple polling firms to calculate a daily running average.

Public approval ratings shift in response to major national events, legislative battles, and economic indicators. Gallup's published second-term trend table recorded the opening reading of Trump's second term at 47 percent approval against 48 percent disapproval in late January 2025. Later polling in November 2025 recorded 36 percent approval against 60 percent disapproval following an extended federal government shutdown and off-year elections.

Aggregated polling tracking provides a continuous benchmark of public sentiment across the four-year term, capturing shifts in public support over time.

How can a president leave office early, and who takes over?

A president can leave office early through four constitutional pathways: death, resignation, removal following impeachment and conviction, or the disability provisions of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Section 1 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment dictates that upon the president's removal, death, or resignation, the vice president becomes president.

Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment addresses executive disability. If the vice president and a majority of the principal officers of the executive departments declare in writing to Congress that the president is unable to discharge the duties of the office, the vice president assumes the powers as acting president. If the president transmits a written declaration to the contrary, Congress must resolve the issue; keeping the president stripped of power requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.

If both the presidency and vice presidency become vacant simultaneously, the Presidential Succession Act (3 U.S.C. 19) establishes the line of succession. Order passes first to the Speaker of the House, then to the President pro tempore of the Senate, and subsequently to Cabinet secretaries in the order of their department's creation, beginning with the Secretary of State.

How does impeachment work, and what would removal require?

Impeachment is a formal constitutional charge, not an automatic removal from office. Article I of the Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment, which requires a simple majority vote on one or more articles of impeachment. The Senate holds the sole power to try all impeachments, where conviction and removal require a two-thirds concurrence of members present.

No U.S. president has been convicted by the Senate. According to the House Historian's list of individuals impeached, the House has impeached three presidents across four separate occasions: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021. In all four instances, the Senate voted to acquit.

Upon conviction, the Senate may also vote by a simple majority to disqualify the individual from holding future federal office.

Impeachment votes, approval readings and senior staff changes, by date.

• Feb 1868: The House impeached Andrew Johnson; the Senate subsequently acquitted him following a trial ending in May.
• Dec 1998: The House adopted two articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton.
• Feb 1999: The Senate acquitted Clinton on both articles of impeachment.
• Dec 2019: The House impeached Donald Trump on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
• Feb 2020: The Senate voted to acquit Trump on both articles.
• Jan 2021: The House impeached Trump a second time on a single article of incitement of insurrection.
• Feb 2021: The Senate acquitted Trump in his second impeachment trial.
• Jan 2025: Donald Trump took the oath of office for his second term on January 20.
• Jul 2025: Gallup recorded a mid-year approval rating reading of 37 percent.
• Nov 2025: Gallup recorded an approval reading of 36 percent against 60 percent disapproval.
• Mar 2026: The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security by a 54 to 45 vote following the departure of Kristi Noem.
• Apr 2026: Todd Blanche began serving as acting Attorney General.
• Aug 2026: The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche by a 50 to 49 vote on August 8, and he was officially sworn in as the 88th Attorney General on August 10.
• Aug 2026: Karoline Leavitt concluded her service as White House press secretary on August 27.
• Sep 2026: The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor by a 47 to 41 vote on September 30.
• Oct 2026: Trump named Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary on October 9, succeeding Karoline Leavitt.
• Jan 2029: The second presidential term concludes at noon on January 20 under the Twentieth Amendment.