⏰ Tick Tock
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - 81
Days to the start of the 2026 Utah Legislature (1/20/2026) - 158
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - 445
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - 1,180
Trump's support among Republicans starting to slide
It's no secret that the key to President Donald Trump's success is almost unwavering support from his most loyal supporters. Don't look now, but that unwavering support might be wavering ever so slightly.
A YouGov poll from this week finds 42% of Americans either strongly or somewhat approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while 54% disapprove. His net approval of -12 is a slight improvement from how he's been perceived by the public over the past few weeks. It's also more positive than it was at the same point during his first term in office.
However, it appears that Trump is starting to bleed support from Republicans.
In January, YouGov says that 92% of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance while 5% disapproved, giving him a net approval of +87.
In mid-May, his net approval among Republicans had dropped to +79, with 88% approving and 9% disapproving.
This week, Trump's net approval dropped to +70 (83% approve and 13% disapprove).
Trump's loss of support among Republicans has been offset somewhat by a small increase in approval from Americans who don't belong to either party.
33% of this group approve of Trump and 55% disapprove, which is a -22 net approval.
Fewer than a third of Americans (31%) believe Trump is honest and trustworthy, which is the lowest level since the start of his second term.
Friday morning's headlines
Utah and the West
Outside group spent $15,000 on Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy's weeklong Greece trip with her sister. [Utah Political Watch]
Labor unions want voters to weigh in on bargaining ban referendum as lawmakers mull changes. [KSL]
Utah school board member defends comments amid criticism of faith, Unabomber references. [KUTV]
Patients being diverted following power outage at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. [Fox 13]
World's largest data center campus could be coming to central Utah. [KSL]
Utah universities prepare for enrollment dip as "demographic cliff" nears. [KUTV]
S.L. County primary results: Incumbent mayors in Sandy and Murray will advance to general election. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Lawmakers hear from Olympic organizers for the first time since Utah got the 2034 Winter Games. [Deseret News]
Utah officials are suspending fewer hunting, fishing licenses - but going after the worst offenders. [Utah News Dispatch]
Utah's first 2025 West Nile virus case reported in Salt Lake County. [Utah News Dispatch]
Nation
Washington, D.C.'s mayor and attorney general sued the Trump administration over the federal takeover of the D.C. police department. [Washington Post]
Neighborhoods in D.C. with the highest crime rates have yet to see the presence of federal law enforcement. [USA Today]
The Trump administration is considering capping the number of refugees at 40,000 in the coming year, with the majority being white South Africans. [Reuters]
President Trump says he wants to use nationwide traffic stops to find undocumented immigrants. [Axios]
A prominent good government group says it would not oppose California's redistricting effort as a "counterbalancing measure" to President Trump's push to draw several Republican seats in Texas and other states. [Politico]
World
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska today. [BBC]
The Trump administration is reportedly drawing up plans to use the military against drug cartels in Latin America. [Rolling Stone]
During a phone call with Norway's finance minister last month, President Trump called Norway's finance minister last month and told him he he wanted the Nobel Prize. [Reuters]
Business
The White House has launched a loyalty scorecard that rates more than 500 companies and trade associations on how hoard they worked to support Trump's massive tax cuts and spending bill. [Axios]