(The Hill) — President Trump’s approval rating is on a downward trajectory, with over a third of Americans expressing dissatisfaction with his administration, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

The survey, unveiled on Thursday, indicates a 3 percent decline in Trump’s approval since last fall, now resting at 37 percent. Although Trump’s backing among Republicans remains robust at 73 percent, it has experienced a slight dip from a similar poll conducted last September.

Within party lines, 25 percent of Republicans and a significant 94 percent of Democrats disapprove of Trump’s performance. Meanwhile, a mere 5 percent of Democrats voiced their approval.

Half of the respondents felt that the administration’s actions since taking office have fallen short of their expectations, while 21 percent believed they exceeded them. Approximately one in four Americans reported that the administration’s actions were in line with what they anticipated.

Support for Trump’s policies has also waned, with only 27 percent of Americans backing all or most of them, a decrease from 35 percent upon his return to office last year. This downward trend is primarily influenced by shifts among Republican supporters, researchers observed.

Many of those surveyed also expressed a lack of confidence in Trump on several metrics, including his leadership skills, mental fitness, and physical fitness.

Confidence in Trump’s respect for U.S. democratic values, ability to pick good advisers, and act ethically in office was also lower than last year.

A decline in Republican confidence contributed to an 8-percent drop in the overall confidence in Trump’s ethics compared to February 2025. More than half of Republicans, 55 percent, said then that they were extremely or very confident that Trump acted ethically at the start of his second term, compared to 42 percent now.

While overall confidence in Trump’s ethics in office was already relatively low last February, at 29 percent, it has declined 8 percentage points since.

Trump’s approval rating, especially among independent voters, has been waning in recent weeks as his administration faces widespread pushback over its handling of immigration enforcement.

The Pew poll was already in progress when a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, the second fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement officers this month.

Democrats have criticized the administration for its response to the killings and its deportation tactics. Senators on Thursday blocked a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because it did not do enough rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), inching the country closer to a partial government shutdown.

The poll found strong support among Democrats for their congressional leadership to push back against Trump, with 82 percent saying their leaders should stand up to the president even if it makes addressing “critical problems” more difficult.

The survey was conducted from Jan. 20-26, among 8,512 U.S. adults, and has a margin of error of 1.4 percentage points.