With the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline just one day away, U.S. President Donald Trump's job approval rating has hit a record low. Trump drew a line, saying "time is not my enemy" and insisting he faces no pressure to negotiate, but observers say it will be difficult for him to continue ignoring public anger ahead of November's midterm elections.
According to NBC on Nov. 20 local time, a poll of 32,433 U.S. adults conducted from Oct. 30 to Nov. 13 found Trump's approval rating at just 37%. Negative assessments of Trump's handling of the presidency reached 63%, with 50% saying they strongly disapproved. It marks the worst showing of Trump's second term. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
The drivers of the negative assessments were inflation and the Iran war. Fifty-two percent said they strongly disapproved of the administration's handling of inflation and cost-of-living issues, and about two-thirds of respondents said gasoline prices were a problem for themselves and their families. In addition, 54% viewed the response to the Iran war very negatively. Sixty-one percent of respondents said the United States should take no further military action against Iran. NBC said the results highlight the challenges facing the Trump administration and the ruling Republican Party with midterm elections seven months away.
As if conscious of the mood, Trump pushed back on Truth Social the same day, writing, "I've seen the Fake News that I'm under pressure to make a deal." "I am not under any pressure. Time is not my enemy," he added. But the White House said the same day that Trump had authorized the U.S. Department of Energy to inject federal funds into the energy industry — including oil, coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — under the Defense Production Act (DPA). Enacted in 1950 during the Korean War, the DPA is a law that compels private companies to accelerate and expand production of key materials. Faced with upward pressure on oil prices from the war with Iran, the administration has invoked an emergency measure created 76 years ago.
Cabinet replacements aimed at a shakeup are also increasing amid the slumping approval ratings. The White House announced the same day that Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had decided to resign. It marks the third cabinet replacement since the start of Trump's second term, following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. The three ousters have occurred over roughly a month and a half since the start of the war with Iran. According to the Associated Press and Bloomberg, Chavez-DeRemer had recently been under investigation by the Labor Department's inspector general on allegations that she had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, improperly billed for travel expenses and drank on the job. U.S. media outlets have named Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll as additional candidates for replacement.
