President Trump's approval rating hit 49% in Gallup's tracking poll, his highest rating in that poll since taking office.
Why it matters: The president's approval reached its peak despite the fact that the poll was conducted from Jan. 16 to 29 — amid his ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.
- His approval rating increased thanks to a jump in support among Republicans (94% approval; up 6% since early January) and independents (42%; up 5% since early January).
- Only 7% of polled Democrats approved of his performance.
- 50% of Americans disapproved of Trump, while just 1% expressed no opinion.
Of note: The 87-point gap between Republicans and Democrats on Trump's approval is the largest partisan gap Gallup has measured for any president's approval rating.
The big picture: Beyond impeachment, Trump's recent military engagement against Iran and his administration's progress on trade agreements may have helped his ratings.
- 53% of those polled approved of killing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
- Confidence in the economy is also at its highest point since 2000, according to another Gallup poll.
Methodology: This survey is based on telephone interviews conducted January 16–29, with a random sample of 1,033 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Go deeper ... Poll: Majority believe Trump abused power and obstructed Congress
