A total of 44 percent approve of Trump's performance as president. | Getty Poll: Trump's job approval at 44 percent

Less than half of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's performance in office so far, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll published Sunday.

Forty-four percent approve of Trump's performance as president, according to the poll, 48 percent disapprove and 8 percent say they are unsure.


In the poll, which was conducted Feb. 18-22, 32 percent said the president's first month in office demonstrates he is not up to the job.

The publication of the poll comes two days before Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress. Some House Democrats plan to bring guests directly affected by the Trump administration’s controversial policies on immigration and refugees and Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare.

According to the poll, only 29 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, with 60 percent saying they disapprove and 11 percent unsure.

Trump's net approval rating is in the negatives, minus 4 percent, making him the only president in the history of modern polling to begin his term with a net negative approval rating. President Barack Obama began his presidency with a net positive of 34 percent.

The telephone survey of 1,000 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.