A senior Trump administration official revealed Friday the extent to which President Donald Trump’s “politically dire” situation had deteriorated, voicing fears that the commander in chief could reach an unprecedented low point in his presidency — and soon.
As noted by Zeteo’s Asawin Suebsaeng in an analysis published Friday, Trump’s job approval has hovered in the low-to-mid 30s throughout his time in the White House, save for one poll: a Pew survey that found the president at 29% approval shortly after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“No matter how unpopular Trump has grown since early 2025, conventional wisdom has held that he likely has a floor in the low-to-mid 30s, willing to stick by him through practically anything,” Suebsaeng wrote. “Not that many months ago, it was hard (even for someone like me) to imagine Trump ever again hitting the 20s in a high-quality poll.”
However, a senior Trump administration official who spoke with Suebsaeng on the condition of anonymity – who Suebsaeng described as a source “close to Trump” and a person in a position “of influence” – revealed that even the president’s closest allies fear the commander in chief may soon reach a new historic low.
“He keeps saying he doesn’t want to become Herbert Hoover but then can’t stop acting like he wants to be Herbert Hoover,” the official told Suebsaeng. “He really could sink to the high 20s, I think. I would not have thought that last year.”
While Suebsaeng expressed frustration over having to conceal the identity of his source – jokingly suggesting that they may be sent to Siberia should they be identified – he also expressed genuine shock at the blatant admission from someone in a senior position at the Trump White House.
“I was genuinely surprised they’d cop to it! It drove home just how politically dire the situation is for them right now, in a way that may go well beyond what we already expect in November,” Suebsaeng wrote. “Despite his fascistic bullyboy tactics, this president is in a uniquely vulnerable position, and we need to be ready for that dam to finally break.”