His approval in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll, rated in the top five for its 2024 accuracy, remains at 50% despite predictions it would fall as he pushed new trade tariffs and slashed the bureaucracy to end overlap.

The Trump White House MAGA’d this week.

🏗️ Hyundai, Rolls Royce, Schneider Invest Billions
🚗 25% Tariff on Foreign Auto Imports
🎖️ Medal of Honor Heroes Honored at 1600 Penn
🌸 Action to Make DC Safe & Beautiful Again
🚨 MS-13 Gang Leader Captured@PressSec’s MAGA Minute ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rZXKRd5pZu

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 28, 2025

Washington, D.C., and his critics pushed back hard, with several judges stalling his agenda and Democrats pushing the courts for more roadblocks.

Warning signs also flashed when Wall Street took big hits in reaction to his tariffs, including a 25% tax on foreign-made autos. And the “scandal” created by his national security staff that invited an anti-Trump editor into a group chat to debate an attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen dominated the legacy media’s coverage of the White House.

☑️63% believe it is fair to say that the United States is fighting a war against illegal immigration.
☑️54% support President Trump’s use of a 1798 law to deport members of a violent Venezuelan gang.
☑️Among those who believe we are fighting a war, 73% favor Trump’s use of a 1798… pic.twitter.com/3oNrCeV0gU

— Scott Rasmussen (@ScottWRasmussen) March 26, 2025

Our Weekly White House Report Card graders were not impressed with the week. Conservative analyst Jed Babbin, a former Pentagon official, was critical of the Signal scandal and gave the week a “C-plus.” Democratic pollster John Zogby highlighted some polling showing Trump underwater on key issues during what should be the president’s honeymoon. He graded the week with an “F.”

Jed Babbin

Grade: C+

It was a not-very-good week for President Donald Trump and his crew. The D.C. Circuit Court upheld a district court decision banning the deportation of Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, and a group of cabinet members held a “confidential” chat on a media app called Signal to which the editor of the Atlantic was added (supposedly inadvertently). 

The D.C. Circuit’s decision was inevitable because Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were holding too many facts back from the court. At this point, they can forget using the Alien Enemies Act as a means to deport anyone without court review. Courts have also limited Trump’s actions on banning transgender people from the military and much more.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz took the blame for adding the Atlantic editor to a Signal chat group that discussed plans to attack the Houthis in Yemen who are backed by Iran. The group included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, intelligence czar Tulsi Gabbard, and about a dozen others. Including a journalist was awful, especially since many, if not most, of the others didn’t know he was on the chat. The Trump crew insisted that nothing classified was discussed but — and this is one helluva big but — Hegseth disclosed the precise times the strikes on the Houthis would occur. That has to be at least “secret,” if not “top secret.” Somebody needs to be fired, and not just a lowly staffer.

Next, the Republican majority in the House is far too slim to monkey with, and Trump shouldn’t have pulled out so many for his administration. He has, apparently, realized this. Trump withdrew the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to be the United Nations ambassador, citing the slim 218-213 majority. It may be too late to save the House, but Republicans may limp along until 2026.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he’d be firing about 10,000 agency workers, which is good news. DOGE efforts continue and are succeeding, saving hundreds of billions of dollars.

Trump laid on a 25% tariff on cars and trucks made outside the U.S. Tariffs are inflationary and won’t do what Trump wants them to. The car tariffs will backfire and probably pretty soon. 

Last, and very much not least, Russian President Vladimir Putin is backing away from the agreements supposedly reached with Trump on not attacking Ukrainian energy plants and ships in the Black Sea. Peace in Ukraine is not going to happen while Putin is alive. Toldja so. 

John Zogby

Grade: F

There is just no way to spin this week positively for President Donald Trump. I really don’t have room to list everything, but let’s just get started.

The leak of plans to attack Yemen’s Houthi rebels is an issue that will not go away until someone’s head rolls. The secretary of Defense? National security adviser? In its most benign form, it was stupid and amateurish. For many, it was just dangerous. Either way, it is the mistake that is launching a thousand investigations.

Social Security Administration cuts have caused chaos in that agency. I am not sure if it will directly impact recipients, but folks are scared. Consumer expectations are at a 12-year low, and that is leading to less spending, as are new tariffs and a looming trade war with lots of countries. Europeans and Canadians are reconsidering vacation plans in the U.S., already threatening bad to worse numbers for airlines and railways. The administration is threatening colleges and universities to name protesters of U.S.-supported Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank. Some have been arrested and shipped to a federal holding facility in Louisiana prior to deportation. An appeals court, backing a district court judge, has blocked the deportation of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act. Thus far, the president is ignoring that court.

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The vice president, the second lady, and two very senior officials traveled to Greenland, where the reception has thus far been colder than the “cold as sh**” comment Vice President JD Vance made upon arrival. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in a ceasefire with Ukraine and is said to be considering an invasion of a corridor that can connect Russia’s mainland with the Baltic Sea outlet Kaliningrad. That this corridor borders Poland and Lithuania is making both Baltic neighbors and NATO members very nervous.

Seven of nine national polls show the president’s approval numbers upside down. And his approval ratings are down by 10 points on inflation, seven points on the economy, five points on handling the Israel/Hamas war, and two on foreign policy. His only upside is on immigration where he is up by eight points among voters, but striking out in the courts. And this is his honeymoon.

Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book, Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should, was just released. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.