Are America’s mothers turning against President Trump?
President Donald Trump’s approval rating among American parents has declined over the past year, according to a new national survey, with the biggest shift coming from mothers. While fathers continue to express more support for the president than mothers, the latest polling suggests the political divide between parents is becoming increasingly noticeable ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The findings come from a new Echelon Insights survey of likely voters and highlight changing attitudes within one of the country’s most influential voting blocs. Parents often play a major role in closely contested congressional races, particularly in suburban communities where elections are frequently decided by narrow margins.
New Poll Shows Trump Losing Ground With Parents
The latest Echelon Insights survey found that Trump now holds a negative approval rating among parents of children under 18.
According to the poll, 44% of parents approve of the president’s job performance, while 55% disapprove, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 11 percentage points.
Those numbers represent a significant change from one year earlier. In July 2025, Trump held a positive net approval rating among parents, with 51% approving of his performance and 47% disapproving.
Overall, the poll suggests Trump’s standing among parents has shifted by approximately 15 percentage points over the past year.
The survey questioned 1,004 likely voters between July 9 and July 13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
Support Has Declined Since Trump’s Second Term Began
Compared with the beginning of Trump’s second term, the movement is even more pronounced.
In January 2025, parents approved of Trump’s performance by a 55% to 39% margin, giving him a net approval rating of plus 16.
The current figures represent a 27-point decline from those early approval numbers.
Although polling snapshots can change over time, the results indicate that support among parents has softened since Trump returned to the White House.
Mothers Show the Largest Shift
The survey found the sharpest decline among mothers.
Just 37% of mothers surveyed approve of Trump’s job performance, while 62% disapprove, giving the president a net approval rating of minus 25.
That marks a noticeable decline from July 2025, when mothers gave Trump a net approval rating of minus 15.
The contrast is even greater when compared with the start of Trump’s second term. In January 2025, mothers narrowly approved of the president’s performance, with 49% approving and 44% disapproving.
Since then, opinion among mothers has moved substantially in a more negative direction.
While the survey does not identify the specific reasons behind the shift, it suggests that mothers have become a key driver of the overall decline in Trump’s support among parents.
Fathers Continue to View Trump More Favorably
The picture is different among fathers.
Although support has weakened compared with previous polling, fathers remain more supportive of Trump than mothers.
One year ago, fathers approved of Trump’s performance by a wide 64% to 35% margin, giving him a net approval rating of plus 29.
At the beginning of his second term, fathers posted nearly identical numbers.
The latest survey indicates that support among fathers has also cooled over time, even though they continue to rate the president more favorably than many other demographic groups.
Parents Could Be a Key Voting Bloc in 2026
Parents have long been considered one of the most closely watched groups in American politics.
Economic issues such as inflation, housing costs, childcare expenses, grocery prices, and household budgets often weigh heavily on families with children. Education policies, school governance, and public safety are also issues that frequently influence parents’ political views.
Because many competitive House districts include large suburban populations with young families, shifts in parental approval ratings can receive close attention from both Republican and Democratic strategists.
Whether the latest polling reflects a temporary change or the beginning of a longer-term trend remains uncertain.
White House Defends Trump’s Record
The Trump administration has pushed back against criticism reflected in recent polling.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle has said that “no other President in history has accomplished more for the American people,” pointing to the administration’s efforts to strengthen the economy, reduce inflation, expand employment opportunities, and improve housing affordability.
Administration officials also argue that many of Trump’s economic and policy initiatives are still being implemented and say additional results are expected in the coming months.
Growing Differences Between Mothers and Fathers
The survey also highlights a broader political trend that has developed in recent election cycles.
Men and women have increasingly differed in their political preferences, with fathers generally expressing stronger support for Republican candidates and mothers tending to be more divided or more supportive of Democratic candidates on a range of issues.
Within families, concerns about education, healthcare, childcare costs, taxes, and the overall economy can shape political opinions in different ways.
The latest polling suggests those differences may now be reflected more clearly among parents than in previous years.
What the Poll Could Mean Going Forward
Polls represent a snapshot of public opinion at a particular moment and can shift as political and economic conditions change.
Still, the latest Echelon Insights survey provides an early look at how one influential voting group currently views the president as attention begins to turn toward the 2026 midterm elections.
If similar trends continue in future polling, both parties are likely to devote significant attention to parents—especially mothers—as they compete for support in battleground districts across the country.
For now, the survey suggests Trump continues to perform better among fathers than mothers, while overall approval among parents has declined compared with the beginning of his second term.