President Donald Trump’s approval rating has surged to near-record levels, despite several days of backlash from Democrats, establishment Republicans, and mainstream media regarding his ambitious trade reforms.

A recent poll conducted by J.L. Partners in collaboration with the Daily Mail, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters from March 31 to April 3, revealed that Trump’s support increased even after he imposed sweeping tariffs on numerous trading partners on April 2. The poll indicated that Trump’s approval rating rose to 53 percent, a four-point increase from the previous week’s rating of 49 percent. The Daily Mail described this outcome as “surprising,” especially in light of the intense pressure and stock market decline experienced on Thursday and Friday.

Further analysis of the data showed that Trump’s favorability among voters aged 18 to 29 improved by an impressive 13 points since March 7. This suggests that Trump is building on the significant support he garnered from this demographic in the November presidential election, where voters aged 18 to 29 shifted 10 points in his favor after previously backing Joe Biden in 2020.

The study also noted a six-point increase in Trump’s support among registered Democrats and independents, as well as a 17-point rise in favorability among Black voters since the last survey.

As Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency, American employers and job board leaders have given him a favorable assessment, expressing optimism that the economy “can win now,” even if it hasn’t “started to win yet.”

“I would give President Trump, right now, a pretty solid B+,” said TaChelle Lawson, founder of FIG Strategy & Consulting and a respondent to the Freedom Economy Index (FEI). “He came in with a very clear plan focused on economics. He’s definitely prioritizing business and trimming the fat, which small business owners appreciate. However, I think the messaging could use some improvement.”

Lawson is among over 50,000 small business owners who participated in a recent quarterly survey by RedBalloon and PublicSquare. The survey revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents now expect the economy to experience either “slow” or “robust” growth throughout the year, a significant turnaround from the previously negative outlook, according to Fox Business.

“We’re currently facing a very sick economy that requires strong medicine. If we get that, we believe we can have a robust economy that benefits everyone,” said Andrew Crapuchettes, CEO of RedBalloon. “When the U.S. economy is strong, small businesses thrive, and we can have a positive impact globally.”

Michael Seifert, CEO of PublicSquare, noted that small business owners are encouraged as they approach the 100-day mark of Trump’s presidency, particularly because the administration is addressing overregulation and bureaucratic red tape that hinders business growth.

On Friday, Trump announced that Vietnamese leader To Lam expressed a willingness to eliminate tariffs to avoid punitive new U.S. duties on imports from Vietnam.

“Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their tariffs down to ZERO if they can reach an agreement with the U.S. I thanked him on behalf of our country and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future,” Trump shared on social media.

The news of the call, which Trump posted about, led to a rise in stock prices for companies that manufacture goods in Vietnam, with shares of Nike, for example, increasing by more than 4%. Earlier in the week, the Trump administration had imposed tariffs of 46% on Vietnam, but Trump expressed optimism about future negotiations with To Lam.