Trump's Getting Desperate. Here's Why. | Behind the Numbers

His approval rating is -17. That must keep him up at night.

President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Sunday, September 7, 2025. | Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr

Rick Wilson

and

Andrew Wilson

are on break this week, but the polling just keeps coming, and it’s not looking great for President Donald Trump.

To say the least.

His overall approval rating stands at net -17. Stands may not be the best descriptor there, because it’s actually in freefall. That number is 3 points lower than the last round of polling done just earlier this month.

Despite all of this, Trump continues claiming that he has “the highest poll numbers I ever had.” Cool story, little guy!

At the same time, more than two-thirds of us believe the economy is either in the tank or just “fair.” We — Americans — aren’t buying what he’s selling by a long shot. Remember how unpopular Biden was when he had to drop out of the race? Trump is in that kind of territory.

Trump’s approval rating has declined 11% since he took office…earlier this year. Would that be considered plummeting? You could certainly make that case.

But the numbers themselves don’t tell the whole story here. Whether or not Trump actually believes his numbers are great, the fact is that the people around him likely know exactly how badly he’s doing. His policies, his language, his clear mental and emotional decline are boxing him and his people in, which is triggering a dangerous moment for our country.

Cue Stephen Miller plagiarizing Goebbels at the Charlie Kirk rallly/memorial.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic…You have nothing. You are nothing. You are wickedness. You are jealousy. You are envy. You are hatred. You are nothing. You can build nothing. You can produce nothing. You can create nothing. We are the ones who build. We are the ones who create. We are the ones who lift up humanity.”

~Stephen Miller

While Miller’s rhetoric is wild and dangerous, Trump and co. are building an army of law enforcement officers accountable only to themselves.

Polling? they seem to say. Who cares about polling when you have an army?

At the same time, the Democrats’ numbers are, in some many most cases, worse.

While the Rs are doing better than the Ds, this doesn’t mean Americans think the Rs are actually doing well. By and large, we think the country is circling the drain, and no one can save us.

When Trump says the country is a shithole, what he’s really saying is The country will become a shithole and only I will be able to fix it.

According to the polling, at least, we believe the former but not the latter.

Rick & Andrew will be back next week. Prediction: Trump’s numbers will not miraculously rebound by then. But I guess you’ll have to tune in to find out for sure.

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