Supreme Court Approval Hits Record Low in 2026

Supreme Court approval plummets to an all-time low as Republican support dwindles, according to the latest Gallup poll.

The Supreme Court’s job approval rating among Americans has plunged to a historic low, coinciding with a substantial decline in support from Republicans, according to a recent Gallup poll. Only 33% of Americans now approve of the Supreme Court’s performance, marking a drop from 39% in July 2025, which was itself a previous low.

Gallup’s polling over the past 26 years shows that disapproval of the court has surged, reaching 61%, up from 52% last September.

Of particular note is the drop in approval among Republicans, which has fallen from a near-record high of 79% in September to just 58% in the most recent survey. This represents the lowest approval rating among Republicans in nearly three years.

The shift in perception may stem from recent rulings that were unfavorable to the Trump administration, including decisions on tariffs and birthright citizenship. Gallup remarked that these unfavorable outcomes seem to weigh more heavily on Republicans than the court’s rulings that supported Trump’s administration.

This past term, the Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s authority to impose wide-ranging tariffs on imports from most countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It also struck down a Trump executive order aimed at limiting the constitutional right to birthright citizenship.

Moreover, the court dismissed Trump’s attempt to swiftly terminate Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook amidst a lawsuit regarding her firing.

Despite these losses, Trump did secure some significant victories in the court, such as a decision allowing a president to fire members of independent government agencies.

Gallup conducted its latest poll through telephone interviews with 1,200 adults from July 1 to July 19, carrying a margin of sampling error of 4 percentage points.

The poll is part of Gallup’s annual effort to gauge public opinion on the Supreme Court, conducted each July after the court’s term ends and again in September before it resumes hearings in October.

Democratic approval of the court remains unchanged from September 2025, with only 12% expressing approval, while 35% of independents approved of its performance. Over the past five years, ratings from Democrats have consistently ranked among the lowest for any political group, reflecting the impact of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority.

The stark decline in support for the Supreme Court signals shifting sentiments among the American public, particularly within the Republican base, as they reassess the court’s role and its decisions on pivotal issues.