Court Approval Falls
Supreme Court Approval Hits Record Low 33% as Partisan Gaps Deepen After Mixed Rulings
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Key Points
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Republicans’ approval dropped to 58% in the latest Gallup measure, down from 79% in September 2025 and the lowest level for Republicans in nearly three years (56% in 2023).
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The Supreme Court remains a 6-3 conservative majority, a dynamic cited in coverage of the term alongside rulings that some view as favorable to the Trump administration.
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Justice Elena Kagan argued that the court is not a 'rubber stamp' for the Trump administration, a remark highlighted in analysis of the term’s influence on public opinion.
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Gallup notes the partisan gap in court approval has widened over the past decade, with the difference between Republicans and Democrats averaging about 32 points since 2010 (18-point gap from 2000–2010).
Americans' approval of the Supreme Court has fallen to a record low of 33%, with 61% now disapproving, according to a new Gallup poll released after the 2025-26 term wrapped up. Newsweek reported the previous low was 39%, set just one year earlier.
The sharpest drop came from Republicans. Their approval fell from 79% last September to 58% today, according to Yahoo News. Democrats sit at about 12% approval, and independents at around 35%.
Republicans Pull Back After Mixed Term Rulings
Republican approval of the court dropped 21 points in under a year — from 79% to 58%, according to UPI. That is the lowest Republican approval in nearly three years, matching a 56% low seen in 2023. The shift drove the overall record-low 33% approval number.
The court still holds a 6-3 conservative majority. But this term did not deliver only wins for the right. Rulings that blocked Trump's broad tariff powers and struck down his birthright citizenship order appear to have cooled Republican enthusiasm, according to Newsweek.
The Term's Big Rulings Went Both Ways
The court handed Trump some victories. It expanded the president's power to fire officials at independent agencies. It also upheld state laws that bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Those were seen as wins for the administration.
But the court also ruled against Trump on key issues. It blocked his attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. It rejected his use of tariff powers without Congressional approval. It also allowed mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, according to Yahoo News. Justice Elena Kagan argued the court was not a 'rubber stamp' for the Trump administration.
A Decade-Long Slide in Trust Keeps Deepening
Gallup's data shows this is not a sudden collapse. The partisan gap in court approval has averaged about 32 points since 2010. That is nearly double the 18-point gap seen from 2000 to 2010. The trend points to a court that is increasingly viewed through a political lens, according to UPI.
The Gallup survey covered roughly 1,200 adults and carries a margin of error of about 4 percentage points. Even with that margin, the 33% approval figure is a clear record low — well outside the range of statistical noise.
What This Means for the Court's Standing
Critics say the court's deep involvement in political battles — from election rules to presidential power — is making it harder for Americans to see it as a neutral institution. Both parties now express dissatisfaction, just for very different reasons.
Newsweek noted that the combination of rulings this term left almost no group fully satisfied. Democrats disapprove because of conservative rulings. Republicans now disapprove because the court blocked some of Trump's agenda. The result is a court with record-low support from nearly every direction.
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