North Carolina
Trump’s approval ratings are in: Here’s how he scores according to U.S., NC polls
Trump won’t rule out recession as US tariffs begin
President Trump refused to rule out the possibility that his economic policies, including aggressive tariffs, could lead to a recession. In an interview with Fox News, he acknowledged a “period of transition” but insisted that his policies would ultimately benefit the economy.
unbranded – Newsworthy
Recently released presidential approval rating polls offer insight into how President Donald Trump is faring in the eyes of the American people.
The new round of polls comes after Trump’s address to Congress, in which he asserted his administration’s efforts and praised DOGE. Tariffs against Mexico and Canada went into effect earlier the same day, though he later backpedaled, delaying the tariffs.
In the past week, news also emerged that Trump plans to dismantle the Department of Education, though the president does not have the power to fully eliminate the agency on his own accord.
Here are the new polls showing Trump’s approval ratings in the U.S. and North Carolina, plus approval ratings on Josh Stein and comparisons with past presidents and terms.
What is Donald Trump’s approval rating?
Here are the latest approval ratings released on Trump’s administration:
- Most recent Gallup polls show Trump’s approval rating averaging at 46% since he took office in his second term. His first term overall average was a 41% approval rating. During both terms, his lowest to highest approval ratings have ranged between 34%-49%.
- Most recent Reuters/Ipsos polls from Tuesday, March 4, reported that 44% of those surveyed gave Trump a favorable approval rating of his first month in office. Reports also show that public approval so far has remained higher than his first term in office and higher than that of former President Joe Biden overall.
- The most recent ABC News project538 polls showed 47.6% favorability of Trump’s presidential performance in a Tuesday, March 4 poll. The same polls showed that Vice President JD Vance had a slightly lower approval rating, with 40.8% viewing him favorably.
- Most recent polls from The Economist show that 46% of people are favorable of Trump and 50% are unfavorable of him, according to the latest update from Thursday, March 6.
What is Trump’s approval rating in North Carolina?
Polls from Meredith College posted on Feb. 13 provided insight into NC residents’ opinions in particular. The polls showed results on a scale of possible answers to the question “Do you approve of the job Donald Trump is doing as president of the United States so far?
- Strongly approve: 30%
- Somewhat approve: 17%
- Somewhat disapprove: 11%
- Strongly disapprove: 38%
- Don’t know: 4%
What is North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s approval rating?
Meredith College polls also asked NC residents, “Do you approve of the job Josh Stein is doing as governor of North Carolina so far? Responses were:
- Strongly approve: 21%
- Somewhat approve: 37%
- Somewhat disapprove: 11%
- Strongly disapprove: 8%
- Don’t know: 22%
How does Trump’s approval rating compare with his 1st term?
According to results from now-defunct polling website FiveThirtyEight, Trump had a final approval rating of 34% when he left office in 2021. His approval average during his first term was 41%.
How does Trump’s approval rating compare with past presidents?
- Joe Biden – 40%
- Donald Trump (first term) – 34%
- Barack Obama – 59%
- George W. Bush – 34%
- Bill Clinton – 66%
- George H.W. Bush – 56%
- Ronald Reagan – 63%
- Jimmy Carter – 34%
- Gerald Ford – 53%
- Richard Nixon – 24%
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
How to protect yourself against a shark
A safety diver calmly pushes away a shark, explaining how to stay safe if approached. (Credit: @mermaid.kayleigh/@andriana_marine via Storyful)
Claire Hardwick, Storyful
The Atlantic Ocean’s largest tagged great white shark in history recently resurfaced off the coast of North Carolina near the Outer Banks, scientists said.
At nearly 14 feet long, the big fish named “Contender” appears to be heading toward Cape Cod and the eastern coast of Canada, according to a OCEARCH, a global non-profit marine research group tracking shark sightings and migration.
Researchers first tagged the massive great white shark on Jan. 17, 2025 off the Florida-Georgia coast, according to online data from the non-profit.
Most recently Contender breached the surface just before 2 p.m. ET on July 10.
Prior to that, the shark had pinged several times including on April 14 and on April 23.
A ping means the Smart Position and Temperature Transmitting tag attached to the fish’s dorsal fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period as it swam, transmitting a near-live location signal to the OCEARCH shark tracker.
The visit comes at the time of year when great white sharks start migrating north to warmer waters for a larger food supply, as previously reported by USA TODAY.
How much does the largest great white shark tagged weigh?
According to OCEARCH’s shark tracker page, Contender weighs 1,653 pounds.
An adult male, the shark believed to be just over 30 years old.
“Contender’s name is in honor of Contender Boats, a longtime OCEARCH partner, whose industry-leading sport fishing and pleasure boats enable our research missions,” the non-profit wrote on its website.
See live view of tagged sharks that are tracked:
To track Contender and other tagged marine life online, download the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker App, available on iOS, Android, and on desktop at ocearch.org.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Copper theft is becoming a growing problem across North Carolina, with AT&T officials warning that the crime can leave entire neighborhoods without phone or internet service and, in some cases, disrupt emergency communications.
According to AT&T, the company has recorded 215 copper theft incidents across North Carolina so far this year. Buncombe County alone has seen about 40 incidents over the past two years. Thieves often cut down or dig up communication lines, strip the copper from the wire and sell the metal for scrap.
“It’s problematic, largely from a public safety standpoint,” said Trey Rabon, president of AT&T North Carolina. “If folks need to call emergency services, need to call 911, they’re not able to access the infrastructure necessary to complete that call.”
“Sometimes we see instances where emergency communications are disrupted, communications between public safety agencies are disrupted,” Rabon added. “It has become an acute challenge, particularly in western North Carolina.”
5 CHARGED AFTER AT&T WIRE THEFTS CAUSED WIDESPREAD OUTAGES IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY
Rabon said thieves frequently target both residential and commercial communication lines, taking advantage of remote mountain locations where utility poles are often out of sight from nearby homes.
“In the mountains, oftentimes personal property is not in line of sight for other neighbors,” Rabon said. “Would-be thieves have the ability to climb a pole, disconnect a line, drive to the next pole and disconnect that line.”
In May, five people were charged in connection with multiple copper thefts across Buncombe County that investigators said caused widespread outages. Law enforcement also discovered several wire-stripping sites in Swannanoa and Leicester.
The thefts have also impacted local businesses.
SWANNANOA PIZZA SHOP SAYS INTERNET WIRES WERE STOLEN, FORCING A DAY CLOSURE
In early June, thieves cut and stole internet lines serving Good Pizza Company. Owner George Peyton said the outage forced the restaurant to close because employees could not access essential business systems.
“Nobody could clock in, couldn’t print tickets, couldn’t take phone orders, and that’s about 80 to 85% of the business,” Peyton said.
AT&T officials say one of the most effective ways to prevent copper theft is for communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
“They don’t like to operate in the light of day, and they certainly don’t want to operate with a hyper-aware and vigilant community,” Rabon said.
Anyone who suspects someone is stealing communication wire is encouraged to contact local law enforcement.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The Myrtle Beach Police Department announced Monday the arrest of a man wanted in North Carolina.
Officers arrested Leko Jones, 46, who was wanted by authorities in Burlington, North Carolina, according to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Jones is charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault by strangulation.
The arrest resulted from a coordinated effort between the Myrtle Beach Police Department’s Patrol Division and Investigations Division, working alongside the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Investigators said they safely located Jones and took him into custody.
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