America’s Optimism Surges Under Trump: Right Direction Numbers Hit 20-Year High
For the first time in two decades, more Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction—a shift largely driven by Republican enthusiasm and a growing number of independents adopting a more optimistic outlook.
At 44%, the “right direction” number is the highest recorded in an NBC News poll since early 2004, marking a sharp turnaround from just months ago. This increase is largely fueled by a Republican base that remains steadfast in its support for former President Donald Trump.
Buoyed by jubilant and unified Republicans, who are standing in lockstep with Trump and the expansive agenda he and congressional leaders are pushing in Washington, more registered voters see the U.S. as heading in the right direction than at any point since early 2004, though a majority still say the country is on the wrong track. Trump’s approval rating also equals his best-ever mark as president (47%), though again, a majority (51%) disapproves of his performance.”
NBC election analyst Steve Kornacki explains the numbers further (see transcript below tweet):
“First of all, the mood of the country. This really jumped out. We asked folks, is it gotten the right direction or the wrong direction? That 44%, who say right direction, that’s up since November. And if that doesn’t seem like a lot, the last time it cracked 40%, you got to go back to 2012, the last time it actually hit 44% or higher, January of 2004. So a lot of this is, Republicans, but independents—that number is also up since the election on the direction of the country.”
Even as a majority remains pessimistic, this shift in sentiment stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming negativity seen in recent years.
Trump’s personal approval ratings have also reached their highest levels recorded for the new network.
Trump’s job approval rating (47%) and personal favorable rating (46%), along with the 44% who believe the country is on the right track, are at all-time highs in NBC News polling during his political career.”
However, the polls also highlight serious challenges for the GOP.
But they are also far below where previous presidents stood during the ‘honeymoon period’ of new administrations, marking the polarization that has defined the Trump years. Slightly more disapprove of Trump’s job performance (51%) and view him personally negatively (49%), and 54% see the country as on the wrong track.”
While Republicans celebrate Trump’s strong numbers, Democrats remain overwhelmingly skeptical, contributing to a historic partisan divide.
Trump has the largest gap of any president in the last 80 years between his approval rating among members of his own party (90%) and his approval rating from the opposing party (4%), according to an analysis of three decades of NBC News polling and earlier data from Gallup.”
Meanwhile, the economy remains a key point of contention, with most voters still disapproving of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living.
Meanwhile, driven in part by a pessimistic shift among Democrats since Trump’s election, just 18% of voters rate the economy as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ — not as low as the poorest economic marks during the Biden administration, according to CNBC polling from 2022, but within a handful of points, and as low as that mark has been in NBC News polling since 2014. Majorities of voters disapprove of Trump’s early job performance on the economy (54% disapprove, 44% approve) and how he’s handling inflation and the cost of living (55% disapprove, 42% approve).
With the 2026 midterm election starting to take shape, the shifting sentiment on the country’s direction signals a potentially game-changing factor. While Trump’s approval remains divided, more Americans—particularly Republicans and independents—see a future worth considering.
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