Public dissatisfaction with US President Donald Trump has reached an all-time high during his second term in office, with a clear majority of Americans dissatisfied with his performance, according to the latest polling average by The New York Times.
According to a NYT report, this is the highest approval rating Trump has faced since the end of his first term in 2020, following the loss of his re-election campaign and the attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
Gas prices in the US have risen due to the war in Iran
The weakening poll numbers against Trump come as the US-Iran war has pushed US gas prices higher, with a growing number of Americans now expressing concerns about the economy. Similar findings were reported by the Reuters/Ipsos agency
A poll released Friday found a clear majority of Americans blaming Trump for higher gas prices, a move weighing on his Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections.
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About 77 percent of registered voters in a poll that ended earlier this week said the U.S. president bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the recent hike in gas prices, a move prompted by his decision to go to war with Israel against Iran.
Trump’s approval ratings are falling
In a Marquette University Law School poll last week, Trump’s approval rating among political independents dropped to 28 percent. That’s down from 39 percent when he took office. Even the American president lost a little among the Republicans. However, an overwhelming majority of Republicans, nearly 80 percent, still approve of his job performance.
On Thursday, a Times poll average showed Trump’s overall net approval rating, the difference between those who approve and those who disapprove, reached minus 19 percentage points.
Concerns about the US economy are growing
Concerns about the US economy are now growing, with seven in 10 voters saying the economy is getting worse for them and their families. That number is up from 55 percent just a year ago in a recent Fox News poll. Separately, economic anxiety has also seen a sharp rise in Trump’s base. Nearly half of Republicans now say the economy is getting worse, double the share of those who said the same last April.
This comes at a time when Trump’s approval rating on the economy is at 34 percent and his approval rating on handling inflation is just 28 percent. It’s worth noting that voters are far more likely to approve of his stance on immigration and the border. Nearly half of all voters, 46 percent, approve of Trump’s immigration policies.
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Most Americans do not approve of going to war with Iran
According to a YouGov poll, most Americans remain opposed to a US war with Iran, along with disapproval of Trump’s handling of the situation. Most Americans say Washington should try to strike a deal to end the war as quickly as possible, although few believe the US and Iran will reach a deal in the next two weeks.
While 58 percent of Americans oppose the war, only 31 percent approve of it. Roughly 55 percent of Americans also somewhat or strongly disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran situation. Only 34 percent approve of Trump’s behavior. That’s roughly the same as last week.
The US-Israel war in Iran
The US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury and Rising Lion against Iran in late February, targeting key military leaders. From the end of February, the conflict escalated and dragged on for six weeks, after which a two-week ceasefire was declared. While the two sides came to negotiate in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the aim of reaching an agreement, the first round of talks failed and the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while the Islamic Republic continued to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and later denied that it would engage in a second round of talks with Washington, citing the naval blockade as the primary reason.
Key things
- Public disapproval of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict is at an all-time high.
- Rising gas prices as a result of the war are greatly affecting Trump’s popularity.
- Concerns about the economy are escalating among voters, especially within Trump’s own party.
