In a textbook example of the whirlwind nature of modern politics, President Donald Trump is facing the stiffest test of his second term — just weeks after seemingly moving beyond his last stiffest test.
In a blistering report, polling outfit Rasmussen — typically a more Trump-friendly outlet — revealed that the president’s approval ratings had dipped to as low as they have been in his second term.
The daily tracker showed that the president’s approval rating, per a poll of 1,500 likely voters with a margin of error of 3 percent, sat at 47 percent Tuesday, which ties for the lowest approval rating of Trump’s second term.
Trump hit 47 percent lows in both early and late April.
Just as concerning for the president is that he’s 10 points underwater when it comes to those who “strongly approve” of his job performance versus those who “strongly disapprove.”
Roughly 42 percent of those polled strongly disapproved of Trump’s performance, while just 32 percent strongly approved.
So what exactly is causing this discord among Trump’s base?
In a term: The Epstein files.
When the Department of Justice announced last week that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein — a convicted child sex offender who allegedly organized underage sex parties for the world’s elite — did, in fact, kill himself, and that there was no “client list,” many of Trump’s most fervent supporters were up in arms about it.
NEW: Matt Walsh sends a message to the Trump administration over the Epstein case.
“We want those people to be dragged in front of us, weeping and begging for mercy…”
“Millions of Americans are not satisfied with what we’ve been told, and we shouldn’t be…”
“I want to make… pic.twitter.com/CH4gx25a4Z
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 14, 2025
The prevailing conspiracy theory is that Epstein, who was found dead via hanging in his cell, was actually clandestinely murdered so as to keep secret the list of powerful people on whom he theoretically would have damning blackmail material.
The heat from Trump’s angry base has spilled over to the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom Trump has vigorously defended.
While Trump himself has largely dodged the harshest blowback from the Epstein fallout, these Rasmussen polls show that he is not immune to all blowback.
Pressingly, for Trump, this negative news cycle comes shortly after his base was seemingly frayed on the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
While Trump strongly championed the spending bill, a number of prominent names — including former Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk — strongly rebuked it.
Despite concerns over spending levels and AI regulations, the “Big Beautiful Bill” eventually passed and was signed by Trump.
Just one month ago, the president had been cruising with an approval rating well above 50 percent, but that is no longer the case.
And make no mistake, Rasmussen made it clear that Trump’s handling of the Epstein situation was a key cause of this flatlining approval rating.
Good Morning !
Congratulations again to the PR geniuses at The Justice Department.
THIS MORNING – Epstein Files: 56% Reject Recent FBI Report https://t.co/aPAFy4nX8W pic.twitter.com/JKOsxPJe5J
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) July 15, 2025
“Good Morning!” the outlet’s X account posted Tuesday, before snidely remarking: “Congratulations again to the PR geniuses at The Justice Department.”
Rasmussen then revealed that 56 percent of those polled rejected the findings of the FBI report.
This Epstein fallout is shaping up to be the most critical test of the president’s second term so far, and given the heat his administration is taking, it may hold that title for a lot longer than the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
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