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U.S. President Donald Trump entered the White House on a pledge to "tame prices," but Americans now rate his handling of the cost of living lower than they did during the final stretch of former President Joe Biden's term. A surge in oil prices triggered by the Iran war and inflationary pressures are keeping his approval rating near the bottom.
According to Reuters on the 10th (local time), a recent survey of 4,531 U.S. adults by the polling firm Ipsos put Trump's job approval rating at 35%, the same level as a survey in the middle of last month.
That edges above the 34% recorded in April, his lowest of the second term, but is little different from his first-term low (33% in December 2017), marking one of the worst readings on record.
Dissatisfaction with his handling of the cost of living was especially pronounced. Only 22% of respondents approved of Trump's handling of household living costs, while 70% disapproved. That is worse than Biden's record at the end of his term, when 29% approved and 63% disapproved.
Though Trump won the 2024 presidential election by making tackling inflation a core pledge, voters' sense of the situation has actually worsened compared with the previous president's tenure.
Analysts say the Iran war, which broke out in February, is acting as a direct cause of the decline in approval.
As maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz contracted, gasoline prices surged. Although prices have eased somewhat recently amid hopes of an end to the war, 59% of respondents expected prices to rise further over the coming year. Only 17% anticipated a decline. On the military action against Iran itself, 53% said it was "not worth it," with negative opinion prevailing.
A warning sign has also flashed for Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections. Among registered voters, 41% said they would choose a Democratic candidate if a congressional election were held today, ahead of Republicans (37%). The Republican edge on managing the economy has effectively vanished as well. Those saying Democrats have the better economic plan stood at 36%, while Republicans drew 37%, within the margin of error.
Reuters assessed that "until last year, voters trusted Republicans more on managing the economy, but that advantage has disappeared."
