US President Donald Trump’s approval rating rose several points in the latest poll released on Tuesday, recovering from 38%, the lowest since he took office in January.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, which ended Monday, reported a three-point increase in Trump’s approval rating from 38% on Nov. 18 to 41%.
The latest poll polled 4,434 adults across the United States and reported a margin of two percentage points in either direction.
Trump’s disapproval rating, meanwhile, was reported at 57% in the latest poll.
The U.S. president began his second term with a 47% approval rating, but that approval rating has fallen significantly by November due to Republicans’ poor performance in state elections and Democrats’ continued attack on the Trump administration over inflation.
So what’s behind Trump’s approval rating surge?
The latest poll showed Trump faring relatively better on the cost of living issue, where he received 31% approval, up from 26% in the Nov. 18 poll.
This overall increase in his popularity on the cost of living issue was largely fueled by improving Republican views of his handling of the economy.
Reuters reported that Trump gained 10 percentage points among Republicans on the cost of living issue in the latest poll, with 69% of GOP members now giving him a favorable view.
Republican opinions of the president have also improved overall, up to 85% in the latest poll from 82% last month.
Reuters also reported that Trump’s latest surge in popularity was partly fueled by a small increase in his approval rating among Hispanics — Trump’s approval rating within the ethnic group improved to 34% in the latest poll, up from 32% in late November.
Despite Trump’s rise in approval ratings, particularly on the cost of living issue, rising prices remain a serious concern for the US president, with inflation reported at 3% in the 12 months to September, a percentage point above the historical norm of around 2%.
Yet Trump has so far ignored the Democratic Party’s focus on the issue, even calling it a “fraud.”
With the debate raging over the issue of inflation, Trump is also set to give a speech on Tuesday on economic issues, particularly affordability, in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
