Trump approval rating falls to lowest of term amid cost-of-living, Iran war worries: poll
- Cost-of-living concerns rise as gasoline prices surge after war with Iran.
- Rep support for Trump remains high, but many disapprove of his response.
- Independent voters lean Democratic for midterms, with many still undecided.
President Donald Trump’s approval rating sank to the lowest level of his current term, as Americans increasingly soured on his handling of the cost of living and an unpopular war with Iran, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The four-day poll, completed on Monday, showed 34% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in the White House, down from 36% in a prior Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted from April 15 to 20.
The majority of responses were gathered before the Saturday night shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was due to speak. It remains to be seen if the incident, in which a gunman was stopped before he could enter a hall where Trump was dining, might affect people’s views of the US leader. Federal prosecutors have charged the accused shooter with attempting to assassinate the president.
Trump’s standing with the US public has trended lower since taking office in January 2025, when 47% of Americans gave him a thumbs-up.
His popularity has taken a beating since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, which has led to a surge in gasoline prices. Only 22% of poll respondents approved of Trump’s performance on the cost of living, down from 25% in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Surging gas prices weigh on voters
US gasoline prices have surged more than 40% to roughly $4.18 a gallon since the US and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a response that shut down a fifth of the global oil trade.
The price hikes are weighing heavily on American households and fueling concern among Trump’s Republicans that they could lose control of the US Congress in the November midterm elections.
While a solid majority of Republicans – 78% – still say they back Trump, 41% of the party say they disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Independent registered voters, a group that could be decisive in the midterms, favoured Democrats by 14 points, 34% to 20%, when asked who would get their vote in congressional elections. One in four said they were still undecided.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election on promises to bring down prices after several years of high inflation vexed his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. Now Trump’s approval rating on the economy – at 27% – is well below any reading he had during his 2017-2021 administration, and also lower than Biden’s weakest economy rating.
While the US conflict with Iran has cooled since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire earlier this month, Iran’s threats are preventing most oil shipments from leaving the Persian Gulf, fueling further increases in US and global energy prices as oil reserves decline.
Just 34% of Americans approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
During Trump’s first administration, his popularity hovered around 40% for long stretches. The latest reading remains a touch above the low point of his first term, which was 33%.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted nationwide and online, gathered responses from 1,269 US adults, including 1,014 registered voters, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
