WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump won another term in the Oval Office thanks to the support of independent voters. However, a new poll commissioned by The Independent Center shows independents aren’t happy with Trump's failure to deliver on the economic and political promises that led them to swing in his favor in November. 

“Independent voters swung for Trump in 2024 because they wanted a better economic outlook, increased government efficiency, and reduced polarization,” said Lura Forcum, president of The Independent Center. “Are they getting those things? No. Have they noticed? You bet.”

The poll, conducted June 17–20, 2025, by the Bullfinch Group, surveyed 1,223 adults, including 1,006 registered voters. It found that just 37% of independents approve of Trump’s overall job performance – which is not a good sign for an administration that targeted its messaging to citizens disillusioned with and disenfranchised by American politics. 

One of the biggest areas of discontent among independent voters is Trump’s flagship economic proposal: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive budget reconciliation bill that passed the US House by a single vote and is now being adjusted in the Senate. The poll shows only 26% of independent respondents supported the bill.

Overall, 52% of total respondents said they were less likely to back the bill after learning it could add substantially to the national debt and deficit.

On top of lowering inflation and bringing down the price of consumer goods, reducing the national debt and reining in government spending were top issues for voters in the 2024 presidential election, especially among independent voters. And, they were all things Trump promised to do if re-elected.

The poll found that voters don’t just want to see Trump keep his economic promises, but they also want to see him accomplish his goals by reaching across the aisle – something he, the Republican majority in Congress, and Democratic officials are all reluctant to do as the divide between both major parties has never been wider.

“Independent voters have made it clear they are unhappy with the direction things are going,” Forcum said. “They voted for President Trump in November for economic reasons and now largely disapprove of his first major economic act.”

But It’s Not Just Trump

Bullfinch Group’s findings show that voters aren’t just displeased with Trump. Congress, the Republican Party, and the Democratic Party are all heavily unpopular among the US electorate, according to the latest poll. Here is a breakdown among total voters:

• Congressional job approval is at 35%
• The Republican Party’s approval is at 41%
• The Democratic Party’s approval is at 42%

Both parties have an approval problem. However, looking beyond the soft number, there are additional warning signs for the GOP headed into the midterm election cycle.

• 40% strongly disapprove of Republicans
• 31% strongly disapprove of Democrats

The Republican Party holds the slimmest congressional majority in modern US history. Forcum warned that if the Trump administration and Congress fail to address issues like the cost of living, the deficit, and worsening political division, independent voters could shift the balance of power in 2026 – and it would only take a few seats.

“If they don’t deliver, independents will do what only nonpartisan voters can do — hold the party in power accountable at the ballot box,” Forcum concluded. And because of how US elections have been designed, voters are put in a position where they have to swing from Republican control to Democrat control and back again and hope one side actually keeps its promises.