Trump's Approval Dips: Epstein Case Sparks Discontent

President Trump is facing a tough time in his second term. His approval ratings have hit new lows. This is partly due to the ongoing controversy around Jeffrey Epstein. A recent poll by Economist/YouGov shows that 61% of people disapprove of how Trump is handling the Epstein investigation. This is a big deal. The same poll also found that 82% of Americans want the government to release all documents related to the case. Trump's approval ratings in July of both his first and second terms are the lowest among modern presidents. This is according to Gallup. The ongoing Epstein controversy has been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration for weeks. The Justice Department released a memo on July 7. It said no further disclosure of the criminal case documents was needed. This was after they had hinted at releasing a "truckload" of Epstein files in March. Even some Republicans are pushing for more transparency. This is unusual because Republicans usually support Trump. Trump's approval rating has been fluctuating. It started at +6. 2 percentage points in January. By March 13, it had turned slightly negative. The lowest point was -7. 2 percentage points on April 29. It almost reached that low again on July 22 and 23. As of August 4, Trump's average approval rating margin was -4. 8 percentage points. This is according to RealClearPolitics. The New York Times aggregator showed a similar trend. The Epstein controversy has been a hot topic. Both political parties are calling for more transparency. The Economist/YouGov poll shows that Trump's overall approval rating is -15 percentage points. This is the lowest in his second term. Historically, Trump's approval ratings are lower than other modern presidents. In July of his first years in office, both as the 45th and 47th presidents, his ratings were the lowest. This is according to a Gallup poll.