Nearly 60% of Long Island voters disapprove of Trump's job performance, poll finds

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's job performance is viewed unfavorably by a majority of Long Island voters — with nearly 6 in 10 reporting they disapprove of his work a year and a half into his second term, according to a new Newsday/Siena Research Institute poll.

Trump’s handling of the economy and worries about the country’s role in overseas conflicts are dragging down his approval rating, according to the poll, which shows 58% of Long Island respondents disapprove of his job performance, compared with 38% who approve. Three percent declined to offer an opinion.

Siena pollster Don Levy said Long Islanders surveyed for the poll ranked the cost of living as their top issue, with more than half — 56% — saying they disapproved of Trump’s job making prices more affordable for average Americans.

"This is a clarion call," Levy told Newsday in a phone interview. "At present, the president of the United States is not succeeding in impressing Long Island voters in his ability to make prices more affordable. They don't see it. They don't feel it. They certainly don't feel it at the grocery store, and they don't feel it in the utility prices."

Trump’s Long Island poll numbers mirror national polls that show Trump’s unpopularity rating reaching an average of 57.8% in June, according to the national poll tracking site RealClearPolitics.

Statewide, Trump’s disapproval rating is 65%, with 34% of voters approving his job performance, according to the Newsday/Siena survey of registered voters.

The Newsday poll was done in conjunction with the Siena Research Institute between June 17 and 23 among 412 registered voters on Long Island. The margin of error was 6.1 points, meaning answers may vary by that amount. The regional survey was taken as a subsection of a statewide Siena poll that surveyed 1,120 voters and has a margin of error of 3.6 points.

Trump, who narrowly won both Nassau and Suffolk counties in 2024 after pledging a mass deportation campaign, saw his best numbers in the poll on the issue of border security.

More than half of Long Island respondents — 53% — said they approved of Trump’s ability to secure the U.S. border with Mexico, compared with 37% who said they disapproved. Among Republicans, the issue was his top performer, with 84% saying they approved of his immigration efforts.

Despite support for Trump’s immigration crackdown, half of respondents said they believe the mass deportation campaign is hurting Long Island’s economy, while 33% said they believe it is helping. A combined 17% were either split on whether there was an impact or undecided on the issue.

On other top issues, unsatisfactory ratings continued to dog Trump.

Asked about Trump’s ability to end wars around the world — a question asked in the same week Trump announced a fragile ceasefire agreement with Iran — 52% of respondents said they disapproved of his job, compared with 37% who approved. Nine percent said they were "in the middle," and 2% declined to offer an opinion.

"Despite the fact that the survey overlaps with the most recent ceasefire memorandum of understanding, we still see he’s negative 15" on the issue of ending wars, Levy said.

Ahead of the nation's 250th birthday on July Fourth, respondents were asked their impressions of Trump’s job "making Americans proud to be Americans." Half said they disapproved of his job on this front, compared with 42% who approved.

Despite the 20-point gap in Trump’s job approval rating, Republicans are still running pretty tight against Democrats heading into November’s midterm congressional elections, according to the poll. Asked if the elections were held today, 48% of respondents said they would vote for the Democrat in the race, compared with 42% who said they would vote for the Republican. Eleven percent said they wouldn’t vote or declined to answer.

Among Republicans interviewed by Newsday, most agreed with the president’s policies, arguing that his second-term efforts needed time to bear fruit, while Democrats countered that Trump’s economic policies were adding up to real financial pressure on their everyday lives.

Peter Fertig, 59, of Sound Beach, a self-described independent who voted for Trump in 2024, said he supported Trump for ordering the aerial strikes on Iran, believing it would ultimately improve the country’s national security.

"Do I like the gas prices? No, but I would not like Iran to have a bomb," Fertig said in a phone interview. "So I understand it's a small sacrifice. ... It's only been, you know, 60 or 90 days. It’s a little bit of sacrifice to keep my country on the right path."

Rosa Ali, 53, of Islandia, who describes herself as a conservative Democrat, said she disapproves of Trump’s job performance, blaming his global tariff policies and the war in Iran with causing the price of gas and everyday goods to go up.

"I 100% disapprove of the job he’s doing," Ali said in a phone interview. "If I were doing ‘Trump math,’ I would say, ‘I 500%, 600%, 800% disapprove.’ ”