Claims approval rating is +64 despite polls showing him underwater by 12-43 points
Trump fabricated his approval rating on Truth Social, claiming it was +64 when multiple credible December 2025 polls showed him 12-43 points underwater. CNN's Harry Enten reported Trump's net approval at -12 among all voters and -43 among independents. Five major polls (Economist/YouGov, AP-NORC, PBS/NPR/Marist, Emerson) consistently showed 36-41% approval versus 50-57% disapproval. Trump posted 'Over 50% of voters APPROVE of President Trump' and claimed his 'real' approval rating is +64, representing a fabrication of roughly 76 percentage points from reality. This continues his established pattern of spreading disinformation about his public standing and attacking credible polling organizations as fake news.
“Over 50% of voters APPROVE of President Trump.” — Posted on Truth Social in late-night New Year's message claiming his 'real' approval rating is +64
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThis fabrication demonstrates Trump's pattern of constructing an alternate reality when confronted with unfavorable data. The 76-point gap between his claimed approval (+64) and actual polling (-12 to -43) represents one of his most extreme distortions of measurable, verifiable facts. The consistency across multiple independent polling organizations (Economist/YouGov, AP-NORC, PBS/NPR/Marist, Emerson) using different methodologies makes the fabrication particularly brazen—this isn't a matter of polling variation but wholesale invention. The pattern serves multiple purposes: it maintains supporter morale by denying reality, delegitimizes credible institutions that report unfavorable facts, and conditions followers to distrust any information not sourced from Trump himself. This erosion of shared factual reality represents a fundamental threat to democratic discourse, which requires citizens to operate from a common set of facts.
### Historical Analysis: Fabricated Approval Ratings Historical Context and Tactical Analysis The December 29, 2025 claim of a +64 approval rating despite all credible data showing him deeply underwater represents a peak escalation of his "alternative reality" playbook. This tactic has been foundational since 2015, with early instances of claiming "winning every poll" and "doing great with the Hispanics" despite evidence. By 2025, this has evolved from mere exaggeration into wholesale fabrication of "mathematically impossible" figures. Connections and Pattern Recognition This event is linked to Trump's long-standing hostility toward independent oversight and data-gathering institutions. By labeling five major polling organizations as "fake news" while presenting a fabricated +64 rating, Trump utilizes "gaslighting by volume." The +64 claim is part of a broader disinformation campaign intended to insulate his base from the reality of his administration's unpopularity. Democratic Implications When an executive branch head successfully encourages a significant portion of the electorate to reject professional polling, government statistics, and independent media in favor of fabricated social media posts, the concept of "informed consent" is rendered moot. This represents a direct assault on the shared reality required for a functioning democratic society.