Larry Elder: The cure for Trump Derangement Syndrome? Success!

Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

At this point in his second term, President Donald Trump has higher approval ratings than Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in their second terms. According to the Real Clear Politics average of presidential approval polls, Trump, on Aug. 13, 2025, had a rating of 45.8%. G.W. Bush on Aug. 13, 2005, registered a 43.2% rating. Obama, on Aug. 13, 2013, stood at 43.8%.

For Trump, this approval rating follows: two impeachments; a verdict of liable defamation; a criminal verdict of guilty by a Manhattan jury for a supposed violation of federal election law; a prosecution by the Fulton County district attorney for alleged presidential election interference; an investigation by a special counsel into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol building riot; the special counsel investigation of Trump’s alleged violation of federal law over his possession and handling of government documents, including classified documents; a verdict of liability and a judgment, now approaching $500 million, for supposedly inflating the value of his properties to obtain bank loans; a two-and-a-half-year investigation by a special counsel into whether Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election and whether Trump committed obstruction of justice during the investigation; and two assassination attempts, one of which nearly killed him.

Trump’s approval rating follows the signing of the controversial Big Beautiful Bill. Critics claim the bill “kicks off” deserving recipients of Medicaid while providing “tax cuts for the rich.”

The approval rating follows fierce pushback from so-called sanctuary cities and states over Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations. The approval rating follows Trump’s unrealized promise to end the Russia-Ukraine War “on Day 1,” as well as Hamas’ refusal to release an estimated 50 of the remaining hostages under a deal Trump thought he reached for their release.

Trump’s approval rating follows bombshell accusations by the Trump Department of Justice that Obama and members of his administration in charge of intelligence knowingly falsely accused Russia of not just 2016 election interference but of committing this interference to aid Trump. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced convening a grand jury to investigate whether criminal charges should be brought against members of the Obama administration, possibly including Obama himself.

Trump’s rating is all the more stunning given the nearly wall-to-wall bad coverage by much of the media. In April 2025, the Media Research Center wrote, “Media Research Center analysis of the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts shows the new Trump administration has faced a withering 92% negative coverage, even worse than the relentlessly hostile coverage Trump faced in early 2017 … (these) news programs averaged more than 19.3 million viewers during the first quarter of 2025, making them the most widely-watched news programs in the country.”

But wait, there’s more.

Trump’s Aug. 13 rating took place before Trump’s White House meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and before Trump’s White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After Trump’s nearly three-hour meeting with Putin, Trump and the Russian leader jointly addressed the media. They took no questions, but Putin agreed with one of Trump’s frequent anti-President Joe Biden talking points. Putin said, “Today, when President Trump says that if he was the president in 2022, there would be no war, and I’m quite sure it would indeed be so. I can confirm it. Overall, me and President Trump have built a very good and businesslike contact.”

That’s an extraordinary statement about Trump and about his predecessor. And then there’s the praise of Trump by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and his acknowledgement that Trump was right to a) criticize the failure of many NATO countries to meet their financial obligations to the alliance and b) make NATO pay America for its weapons and material assistance the U.S. is giving Ukraine.

Based on recent events, Trump’s Aug. 13 rating has become ancient history. After his meeting with Putin, Trump’s Insider Advantage approval rating among voters now stands at 54%! Pollster Mike Towery said, “Only the nation’s oldest voters disapprove of his job performance, which is consistent with our prior surveys. Overall, his approval numbers are surging upwards post-summit.”

I have long predicted that Trump’s many successes would eventually propel him to a 60% approval rating. Should Trump’s meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy, and European leaders lead to an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a 60% rating is easily in sight.

Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on X @larryelder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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