Trump’s approval rating by state shows Tennessee and Illinois ranking:

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President Donald Trump announced on September 12 that he would send the National Guard to Memphis as part of his crime crackdown. He deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., beginning in August, claiming it was necessary despite crime rates already declining. In D.C., Trump has special authority to deploy the guard, unlike states where governors typically oversee deployment.

Trump considered sending troops to Chicago, which he portrayed as a “hell hole” riddled with crime. However, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker strongly opposed the idea, and instead, Tennessee’s governor welcomed the help. “The mayor is happy… the governor is happy,” Trump said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” “Deeply troubled, we’re gonna fix that just like we did Washington. I would have preferred going to Chicago.”

According to Morning Consult, which gathers polls over three months to assess state-level data among registered voters, Trump receives a positive approval rating in 25 states as of September 5. North Carolina and Nevada have flipped to give Trump net-negative ratings since the previous month’s update.

In Tennessee, where Trump plans to deploy the National Guard next, 58% of voters approve his job performance compared to 38% who disapprove, making it his sixth-best rating among states. In Illinois, 41% of voters approve and 55% disapprove, ranking as his eleventh-worst state.

In a unique start to his ruling against President Donald Trump’s administration on September 30, U.S. District Court Judge William Young included a scanned handwritten note sent to his office. The note read: “Trump has pardons and tanks – what do you have?” At the top of Young’s opinion in AAUP v. Rubio, which ruled that Trump’s effort to deport foreign-born student protesters was unconstitutional.

October 8, 2025

Morning Consult’s overall approval rating poll from surveys of 2,201 registered U.S. voters from September 6-8 found that 45% of voters approve of Trump’s job performance compared to 52% who disapprove. RealClearPolitics shows a similar trend in its polling average, with Trump’s approval rating becoming more negative throughout July before improving at the end of the month.

Historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump’s August approval ratings during his first years in office are lower than any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. In August 2017, for example, only 36% approved of Trump’s job performance. Comparing this to other presidents:

– Joe Biden (August 2021) – 49%
– Donald Trump (August 2017) – 36%
– Barack Obama (August 2009) – 53%
– George W. Bush (August 2001) – 56%
– Bill Clinton (August 1993) – 44%
– George H.W. Bush (August 1989) – 69%
– Ronald Reagan (August 1981) – 60%

This data highlights Trump’s consistently low approval ratings compared to other recent presidents.