Trump Approval Rating Rebounds After Minnesota Shooting

Poll shows president's approval at 50% after recent dip, contrasting with broader trends.

Feb. 5, 2026 at 3:55am

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President Donald Trump's approval rating has sharply reversed course, according to data from a new national poll by InsiderAdvantage. The poll found Trump at 50% approval and 49% disapproval among likely voters after a week of political turbulence, representing a 7-point rebound from a dip the same pollster recorded immediately after a shooting in which Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents killed a Minnesota man during an immigration enforcement operation.

Why it matters

Trump's approval rating rebound contrasts with national polling averages that continue to show the president underwater, highlighting a split between individual polls and aggregated trend lines that will likely shape both parties' midterm strategies.

The details

The shift represents a 7-point rebound from a dip the same pollster recorded immediately after a shooting in which Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents killed a Minnesota man during an immigration enforcement operation—a flash point that triggered widespread protests, national scrutiny and a change in federal leadership on the ground. InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said he viewed this shift as a "back and forth of the same margins of the last presidential contest" where "certain issues arise and his numbers fall slightly, then other events take place and return to higher numbers."

  • The InsiderAdvantage poll was conducted from January 31 to February 1, 2026.
  • An earlier InsiderAdvantage poll from November 20-21, 2025 found Trump's approval at 44%.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States.

Kush Desai

A White House spokesperson.

Matt Towery

An InsiderAdvantage pollster.

Daron Shaw

A Republican pollster.

Alex Pretti

A Minnesota man killed by Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents during an immigration enforcement operation.

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What they’re saying

“I am keenly aware that our polling of Donald Trump is viewed by some as an outlier. But I am equally aware that our track record of polling him in his three presidential races has consistently been among the most accurate of public pollsters.”

— Matt Towery, InsiderAdvantage pollster

“Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a resounding Election Day mandate to end Joe Biden's economic disaster and immigration crisis. The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”

— Kush Desai, White House spokesperson

“The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received. Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!”

— Donald Trump

“The president faces two difficult obstacles—the virtually unanimous and intractable opposition of Democrats and the stubbornness of high prices.”

— Daron Shaw, Republican pollster

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.