Trump Claims U.S. Made ‘Hundreds of Billions' on Stocks as His Approval Falls to 36%

Trump Says U.S. Stock Holdings Have Generated 'Hundreds of Billions' as New Polling Shows His Approval Rating at 36% Ahead of the Midterm Elections President Donald Trump says his administration has made 'hundreds of billions of dollars' through government stock holdings, making the sweeping financial claim as new polling shows his approval rating falling and some Republicans increasingly wary of tying their midterm campaigns too closely to the president. 'I do this for our Country, not myself,' Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social . 'I've made Hundreds of Billions of Dollars on Stocks, and many other type Holdings, for the U.S.A., not myself.' Trump did not provide documentation showing how the federal government had generated hundreds of billions of dollars from stocks or other holdings. Trump accompanied the post with an AI-generated image depicting him behind the Resolute Desk surrounded by stock-trading monitors. One screen referenced Intel, showing the company being bought at $20 and trading at $95. The federal government acquired an equity stake in Intel under Trump, an unusual move that made Washington a shareholder in one of the nation's largest semiconductor companies. Intel shares have climbed sharply during 2026, and the company recently sold additional shares at $95 each as it raised $20 billion for expansion. Still, Trump has not released calculations showing that Intel or the government's other holdings have produced the 'hundreds of billions' he claimed. The distinction is significant. Trump's post did not claim that he personally earned hundreds of billions of dollars from stock trading. He said the gains were made 'for the U.S.A.' Approval Rating Drops Ahead of Midterms The post comes as Trump faces weakening public support less than two months before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. A new NBC News poll puts Trump's job approval rating at 36%, with 64% disapproving of his performance. His approval slipped one percentage point from the spring, while voters registered particularly strong dissatisfaction with his handling of the Iran conflict. The numbers are adding pressure on Republicans fighting to maintain control of Congress. Reuters reported that Trump's low approval ratings, economic concerns and dissatisfaction surrounding the Iran war have created warning signs for Republican candidates heading into the final stretch of the midterm campaign. Some Republicans in competitive races have also sought greater distance from Trump even as the president places himself at the center of the party's midterm strategy. Trump is expected to headline the Republican Party's unusual midterm convention in Dallas this week, while several lawmakers facing difficult races are focusing instead on campaigning in their districts. Trump, however, continues to argue that his economic moves are benefiting the country. 'All I do is get criticized,' he wrote in Sunday's post. What remains unanswered is how the president arrived at his claim that those investments have generated hundreds of billions of dollars for the United States.