Supreme Court joins Trump, Congress in job approval slump
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The Supreme Court's approval rating — long the highest among the three branches of government — has sunk to a record low, joining President Trump and Congress in drawing low public support.
Why it matters: Americans aren't just unhappy with individual leaders. They're increasingly convinced the country's biggest institutions aren't working for them.
By the numbers: 33% of Americans approve of the Supreme Court's performance, according to a Gallup survey of 1,200 adults conducted from July 1-19 — days after the justices wrapped their latest term.
- That's down 6 percentage points from 2025, the court's previous low.
- Trump's approval rating stands at 34%, the lowest of either of his terms in office, a The Economist / YouGov poll found.
- About 13.5% of Americans approve of Congress' performance, down from 23.2% in July 2025, per YouGov data.
Yes, but: When YouGov asked Americans about their own congressional representatives, more (33%) had a favorable opinion than an unfavorable one (30%).
- Simultaneously, the majority of Americans like their own party's representatives. About 73% of Democrats hold favorable views of congressional Democrats, while 80% of Republicans view congressional Republicans favorably.
Zoom in: Republicans drove much of the Supreme Court's slide.
- Just 58% of Republicans approve of the court this year, down from a near-record 79% in 2025.
- Gallup estimates those changes may reflect frustration that the court has bucked Trump on several major priorities, including birthright citizenship and tariffs.
- Meanwhile, Democratic support plunged after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, and Gallup suggests Democrats and independents remain unhappy with its conservative tilt.
Flashback: When Gallup first asked the question in 2000, 62% of Americans approved of the Supreme Court, and a majority continued to support the court through 2010.
- Since then, its ratings have mostly fluctuated in the 40s as political polarization increased.
Zoom out: The low rankings square with Americans' overall low confidence in 14 of the nation's core institutions.
- An average of just 27% of Americans say they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in 14 major U.S. institutions — only one point above the record low set in 2023.
- There's a wide partisan split here, too. Thirty-six percent of Republicans express high confidence in institutions, compared with 23% of Democrats.
The bottom line: Perceptions typically swing based on who's in the White House.
- But across the board, America's confidence meter is flashing warning lights.
Go deeper: America's trust in institutions keeps tanking
Editor's note: This story was updated with an additional finding from the poll.
