Donald Trump approval rating drops after hitting high among Floridians

In 2018, it's Donald Trump 24/7. (Image via Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has dipped from its previous high among Florida voters, according to the newest results from the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI).

The July survey has Trump with a 41 percent approval rating and a 47 percent disapproval rating. That’s down from May, when the poll had Trump at 43 percent approval and 45 percent disapproval, a net drop of four percentage points.

Trump’s approval was on the rise from December through May, according to FiveThirtyEight’s analysis of available polling. But those numbers have held fairly steady since.

Some, like Wednesday’s FAU BEPI poll, indicate a drop in support. But others, such as a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, had Trump’s approval rating rising, even though it was taken in part after his widely-panned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s popularity is considered a strong factor in whether Democrats will be able to gain control of the U.S. House, or even the Senate, after the midterm elections in November.

The president will also play a role in statewide elections here in Florida, as he’s endorsed Republican candidate for governor Ron DeSantis. Trump plans on attending a rally for DeSantis, a northeast Florida congressman, in Tampa on July 31.

“While the President can help Congressman DeSantis in the primary, Mr. Trump’s underwater approval ratings may be a drag in the general election,” noted Kevin Wagner, professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow of the Initiative.

Trump’s presence (or lack thereof) will also be felt in the U.S. Senate race, as Gov. Rick Scott has seemed to tamp down his previous support of the president recently as he tries to oust incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

Republicans still see Trump favorably, giving him an 80 percent approval rating. Democrats, however, give the president a 76 percent disapproval rating.

The FAU poll was conducted from July 20-21 and sampled 800 registered voters. The group was made up of 35 percent registered Democrats, 33 percent registered Republicans and 32 percent registered Independents. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.