Trump's approval rating drops as he nears first 100 days back in office; tariff stance continues

U.S. President Donald Trump is approaching his 100th day back in the Oval Office.

Amid his strong, unpredictable push on tariff policies, several polls show that Trump's approval ratings have been dropping recently.

Our Park Kun-woo has the details.

U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push forward with his tariff policies, as he approaches 100 days back in office.

On Sunday local time, Trump posted on social media that many people's income taxes will be "substantially reduced" or even "eliminated" when the tariffs take effect.

He added numerous jobs and new factories are being created, also hinting at the External Revenue Service, which'll take charge of tariffs, is on its way.

However, Trump's recent approval ratings have been in decline.

A Washington Post poll conducted by Ipsos in April showed that just under 40 percent of American adults approve of Trump's job performance, while 55 percent disapprove.

That's down from two months ago when 45 percent approved and 53 percent disapproved.

And the result marks the lowest 100-day approval rating for any president, as most enjoy "honeymoons" early into their terms, despite eventual drops later in the first year.

Regarding applying tariffs to imported goods, more than 6 in 10 say they disapprove of Trump's economic policy.

A new CNN poll by SSRS also showed Trump's approval rating at 41 percent, the lowest for any newly elected president since Dwight Eisenhower, including Trump's own first term.

The numbers were down by 4-percentage points from March and seven from February.

Along with these results, Trump had previously announced a 90-day pause on imposing reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, which pundits say is part of his dealmaking strategy.

"Trump loves dealmaking and the tariffs pauses, these deadlines they're all sort of part of that process. I think it's keeping pressure on the counterparties and perhaps giving local firms time to sort of plan where they source and manufacture their products."

He added that given the Trump administration's unpredictability, Trump's next move will likely depend on who he's negotiating with if he doesn't get what he wants after the 90-day period.

And with the temporary pause set to expire in July, attention is now turning to Trump's next steps.

Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.