The Incredible Shrinking Presidency

Trump hits 40–59, his worst ever, as voters cut groceries and medicine. Nixon is the only president numbers like these removed from office.

Donald Trump's disapproval hit 59 percent among registered voters — the worst reading of either term in CNBC's All-America Economic Survey, taken July 8–12 by Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies. Presidents have sunk deeper — George W. Bush hit 71 percent in 2008 — but Bush was a lame duck running out the clock. Richard Nixon is the only president numbers like these actually removed from office, and he ran the same arc: high fifties, mid-sixties, the helicopter. He left at 24–66. Today, only 27 percent of voters call this economy excellent or good.

Every topline runs the same direction. Trump's economic approval fell to 38–60. On inflation he sits at 31–68. And voters expect worse: 41 percent say the economy deteriorates over the next year, and 61 percent call themselves pessimistic about the present and the future both.