The United States Supreme Court’s approval rating plunged to a historic low among independents ahead of its upcoming term, according to a new Gallup poll published Wednesday. The Court’s approval among independent voters fell to 31 percent, the lowest point ever in a Gallup poll. That compares to 35 percent in July 2026 and 38 percent in September 2025.
The Supreme Court has faced eroding public trust in recent years as a growing number of Americans have questioned its impartiality and independence. Democrats have criticized the conservative-leaning court over the overturning of Roe v. Wade and what they view as the weakening of the Voting Rights Act.
And President Donald Trump has taken issue with other rulings, namely when the justices stymied his efforts to end birthright citizenship. The Court is being “bombarded with criticism and very little praise,” Stephen Wermiel, professor of practice in constitutional law at American University, told Newsweek. Trump thinks his conservative appointees have betrayed him and says so in the most denigrating ways.
All of this foment about the Court from all sides is bound to chip away at the Court's standing,” he said. Overall, 34 percent of Americans said they approve of the Supreme Court, near the record low of 33 percent in July 2026, according to the Gallup poll. The Court’s approval stood at 42 percent one year ago in September 2025, and 44 percent in September 2024, according to Gallup polling.
Approval among Republicans rebounded from 58 percent in July to 65 percent in September, according to the new poll. Views toward the court were unchanged among Democrats at 12 percent across both polls, which is near the historic low of 11 percent in July 2025. Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court for comment via email.
Over the past decade, the Court’s highest approval rating was recorded in July 2020 at 58 percent. It had fallen to 40 percent by September 2021, then a record low. The Court’s popularity has struggled to rebound in the years since.
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