Independents have grown increasingly unhappy with President Donald Trump during his second term, particularly independents without a college degree. A new analysis from researchers at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that while about half of independents without a college education had a positive view of Trump around the 2024 election, his approval fell to about one-quarter early in his second term. His standing has also dropped among several small but important groups that backed him in 2024, including Black and Hispanic independents. More Americans than ever consider themselves independents, and they are among the groups that shifted toward Trump in 2024.