Trump’s Approval Rating Hits a New Low. Just 17% Back His Handling of the Cost of Living.
President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has fallen to 32%, the lowest level of his political career, as concerns over the cost of living and the ongoing war with Iran weigh on his standing with Americans, including members of his own Republican Party.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between September 17th and 20th, found Trump’s overall job approval down three percentage points from 35% in the previous week’s survey. The decline was even sharper among Republicans, with 73% approving of his performance, compared with 82% a week earlier.
The numbers illustrate a significant shift since the start of Trump’s second term. After returning to the White House in January 2025, his approval rating stood at 47% in Reuters/Ipsos polling. Economic concerns appear to be a major factor behind the latest decline.
Only 17% of Americans surveyed said they approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, an issue that has become particularly important ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Among Republicans, approval of Trump’s handling of living costs has fallen from 70% earlier this year to 44%, according to Ipsos.
For the first time in the Reuters/Ipsos polling, more Republicans disapproved than approved of Trump’s handling of the issue, 51% to 44%. The findings come as Americans face elevated fuel costs and other inflation pressures during the U.S. conflict with Iran, which began in February.
The Iran war itself also remains unpopular. Just 34% of Americans in the poll approved of the U.S. strikes on Iran, while 82% said they expected the conflict to continue for an “extended period of time.” That expectation crossed party lines, including about three-quarters of Republicans and nine in 10 Democrats.
Trump initially said the conflict would last several weeks and argued that military action was necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. More recently, he has said the war would end “immediately after” the midterm elections.
The conflict has disrupted energy supplies from the Middle East, contributing to concerns about gasoline, diesel and broader consumer prices. Oil prices remained elevated in September, although they fell Tuesday amid signs that Gulf supply conditions could improve.
The latest poll also showed a widening difference in voters’ preferences for control of Congress. Among registered voters surveyed, 43% said they would support a Democratic candidate in the midterms, compared with 35% who said they would support a Republican. The eight-point difference was the largest Democratic advantage recorded in Reuters/Ipsos polling this year.
National congressional polling, however, does not directly determine which party will control Congress. House races are decided district by district, while Senate contests are determined state by state.
Trump’s standing also varies substantially depending on the issue. Immigration remains one of his strongest areas among Republican voters, with 79% of Republicans approving of his approach. Across all Americans surveyed, however, 36% approved and 55% disapproved of his handling of immigration. On crime, 35% approved of Trump’s approach while 50% disapproved.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,277 U.S. adults nationwide online through Ipsos’ probability-based KnowledgePanel. The survey has a margin of error of approximately three percentage points.
