TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) confronts mounting political pressure as his approval ratings plummet to their second-lowest point since his inauguration last year. A survey released Tuesday (April 15) revealed a razor-thin margin between supporters and critics, with just 45.9% of respondents approving his leadership while 45.7% express disapproval of his handling of national affairs.
The poll, conducted by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF, 台灣民意基金會), an independent polling organization, uncovered a concerning trend in public sentiment. Only 16.4% of respondents strongly approve of Lai's performance, while a larger 21.5% strongly disapprove. TPOF Chair Michael You (游盈隆) identified two primary factors behind the president's declining popularity: domestic political turmoil surrounding recent legislative recall campaigns and growing economic anxiety triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff policies.
You characterized the current public sentiment as representing an unusually high level of dissatisfaction with the president's leadership. The data reveals a troubling trajectory for Lai's administration, with approval ratings dropping 3 percentage points from March while disapproval surged by 6.6 points. This dramatic shift has virtually eliminated what was once a comfortable 9.8 percentage point advantage, shrinking it to a precarious 0.2 point margin. You stressed that Lai faces a newly hostile political environment, with the controversial recall campaigns and Trump's protectionist trade policies driving the April polling decline.
According to You, the president's stance on legislative recall campaigns has placed him at odds with mainstream Taiwanese sentiment. Statistical analysis supports this conclusion, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.586 between presidential approval and support for halting recalls. The situation has been compounded by Trump's aggressive tariff policies, which 82% of Taiwanese citizens view as unreasonable. An even larger majority — 86% — fear these policies will substantially harm Taiwan's export-dependent economy. Despite some initial approval for Lai's response to the tariff threat, widespread anxiety persists regarding his administration's ability to mitigate long-term economic damage.
You further noted that Lai's administration faces particular skepticism among crucial demographic groups, including young, educated, and politically neutral voters who have expressed reservations about his policy directions and key appointments. The comprehensive survey, conducted from April 7-9, gathered responses from 1,080 adults across Taiwan using sophisticated dual-frame random sampling methods. Independently funded by the TPOF, the research methodology combined 70% landline and 30% mobile phone responses to ensure representative sampling across age groups. ★