White House Defends Trump as Approval Slips and Rhetoric Intensifies

Washington — The White House spent much of the week on the defensive as Donald Trump’s approval rating slipped in national polling averages and a string of contentious press briefings intensified questions about the administration’s tone, governing style, and relationship with democratic norms.

According to the RealClearPolitics average, the president’s approval has fallen by roughly four points over the past week—an abrupt shift that places him on more precarious footing as the political environment grows increasingly volatile. The slide reflects pressure from multiple directions: Democrats and civil-rights advocates, to be sure, but also conservative commentators and right-leaning podcasters who had previously offered reliable support.

Much of the backlash has centered on three fronts: immigration enforcement tactics, renewed controversy around documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, and the president’s increasingly casual public rhetoric about elections and executive power.