A new national poll reveals President Donald Trump’s approval rating continues to hover near historic lows, with 35% of Americans supporting his job performance as the majority anticipate fuel costs will climb higher.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey, completed on Monday, found Trump’s approval unchanged from mid-May polling. This figure sits just one point above his current term’s lowest mark of 34% recorded in April, and remains close to his first presidency’s bottom of 33% from December 2017.
The Republican leader has encountered significant public dissatisfaction in recent months following his choice to engage in military action against Iran, resulting in escalated gasoline costs nationwide.
Although pump prices have declined somewhat recently due to speculation the Iranian conflict might conclude, 59% of poll participants predicted U.S. fuel prices would worsen over the coming year. Only 17% believed costs would improve, while remaining respondents were uncertain or expected prices to remain stable, according to the six-day survey.
Military operations against Iran began February 28 when Trump authorized strikes alongside U.S. ally Israel. Iranian retaliation has effectively halted shipping through a critical waterway that previously handled one-fifth of worldwide oil commerce. While the frequency of military exchanges has decreased since April, diplomatic efforts have not produced a permanent resolution.
Americans show particularly strong disapproval of Trump’s handling of household expenses, with just 22% supporting his cost-of-living management compared to 70% who disapprove. This represents worse performance than his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, who ended his presidency with 29% approval and 63% disapproval on cost-of-living issues.
Biden’s administration grappled with extended periods of elevated inflation, ultimately damaging his party’s prospects in the 2024 presidential race and contributing to Trump’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris. Trump’s campaign centered on pledges to address inflation, but continuing high fuel costs are now threatening his party’s congressional control in November’s midterm contests.
Public support for Iranian military action remains limited, with 36% of Americans backing the strikes. An even smaller portion – 25% – believed the benefits justified the expenses.
The nationwide polling data showed registered voters would favor Democrats over Republicans 41% to 37% in today’s congressional races. While Republicans previously held advantages on economic management in last year’s surveys, that edge has disappeared. The current poll found 36% of voters trust Democrats’ economic plans compared to 37% supporting Republican approaches.
The online survey collected responses from 4,531 American adults with a 2 percentage point margin of error.
