Trump has never been popular. At best he's been about as popular as B. Barry Bamz overall, though squinting at polls tells me he's been a bit less popular generally, but Obummer was always treated as a fairly unpopular president - with his critics dominating the narrative - and Trump has been treated as a popular one.
Again, reporters know this. While they are not as smart as they think they are - congrats on your expensive SAT test prep course, we are all very impressed with your accomplishments at age 16 - they are not too stupid to be aware that this is what they have been doing.
Trump at 36% won't be enough to change this. When Bush hit low poll numbers they started writing "comeback kid" stories before there was any evidence of a comeback.
Just 36% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president; 62% disapprove.
The numbers may be ugly for a first-term president facing reelection in 14 months, but they are remarkably consistent. Trump’s approval rating has never dipped below 32% or risen above 42% in AP-NORC polls since he took office. By comparison, President Barack Obama’s approval never dropped below 40% in polling by Gallup.
"Trump's low approval provides a unique challenge for Democrats" will be a NYT headline soon. And the sad thing is, Democrats will believe it.