Polls Show Record-Low Approval for Donald Trump Amid Iran War and Skyrocketing Gas Prices

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to record-low levels in multiple polls described by U.S. outlets, with economic pain and the Iran war repeatedly cited as drivers.

“President Donald Trump’s approval rating hit 34% -- a second-term low -- in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll”

AL

The Associated Press-style Reuters/Ipsos polling cited by AL says Trump’s approval rating hit 34%—a second-term low—while the four-day poll ended Monday and found only 34% of Americans approving of Trump’s performance in the White House.

AL

Forbes reports that “Trump’s approval rating reached a record-low in two polls this week as gas prices continued to skyrocket amid the Iran war,” and it adds that the Reuters/Ipsos survey sank to 34% with a margin of error of 2.9.

Forbes also ties the decline to gas prices, noting that gas prices reached a four-year high on Thursday at “$4.30 a gallon.”

The same Forbes account says Trump’s approval of his handling of cost-of-living declined to 22% and that his disapproval rating increased to 56%.

In the Reuters/Ipsos results summarized by AL, “High gas prices and Trump’s handling of the Iran war contributed to the lowest approval rating of his second term,” and it says 78% of Republicans still back Trump even as 41% of them disapprove of his handling of the cost of living.

Even as the numbers show a broad slump, Fox Business highlights a different poll framing, saying “Harvard-Harris CAPS poll shows America is behind Donald Trump and the GOP” and arguing that “America loves President Trump and the Republican Party on all the key issues.”

Across the polling coverage, the Iran war is presented as a central factor in how Americans judge Trump’s performance, with multiple outlets tying disapproval to fears about terrorism and economic consequences.

The Washington Post reports that “President Donald Trump’s war in Iran is as unpopular among Americans as the Iraq War during the year of peak violence in 2006 and the Vietnam War in the early 1970s,” citing a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.

Forbes

The Washington Post says “A Post-ABC-Ipsos poll shows most Americans call the military action a mistake,” while also noting that “even as Republicans remain strongly supportive.”

Forbes similarly emphasizes that Trump’s decision to launch the Iran war is “deeply unpopular,” and it states that the Reuters/Ipsos polling found “Just 34% of Americans approve of the war.”

AL adds that “The poll also found independent voters are tilting toward Democrats by 14 percentage points over Republicans, 34% to 20%,” and it frames the Iran war as part of a broader environment of “fears of terrorism as a result of the military campaign.”

Forbes further reports that “Contrary to most other polls, the survey found 52% support U.S. airstrikes against Iran,” and it says a plurality of “35% say the war has no clear direction.”

In Fox Business’s account of the Harvard-Harris CAPS poll, the Iran issue is described in the opposite direction, with host Larry Kudlow asserting that “74 percent of the voters believe the U.S. is currently winning in Iran.”

Economic concerns—especially gas prices and cost of living—appear repeatedly in the polling narratives, shaping both overall approval and issue trust.

“America loves President Trump and the Republican Party on all the key issues, according to one major poll, the Harvard-Harris CAPS poll, presided over by a former adviser to President Clinton, Mark Penn, who is most certainly a moderate Democrat, not a crazy one”

Fox Business

Forbes says Trump’s approval rating fell as “gas prices continued to skyrocket amid the Iran war,” and it specifies that the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval at 34% and that approval of his handling of cost-of-living declined to 22%.

Forbes also reports that a separate Emerson College survey of 1,000 likely voters found Trump’s approval dipped to 40% and disapproval rose to 56%.

In the Reuters/Ipsos results summarized by AL, “High gas prices and Trump’s handling of the Iran war contributed to the lowest approval rating of his second term,” and it adds that 41% of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living.

Forbes further says “Eighty-five percent of voters are concerned that higher gas prices will lead to an increase in the cost of living,” and it reports that “just over half (52%) of voters say the economy is worse under Trump than it was under President Joe Biden.”

The Le Devoir account places the same economic theme into a midterm-election frame, saying “It is most likely that their handling of inflation will determine whether the Republicans maintain their grip on Congress in the upcoming midterm elections on November 3 in the United States.”

Le Devoir quotes John Gerzema, president and chief executive officer of The Harris Poll, saying, “Right now, Americans are chiefly concerned with their purchasing power,” and it adds that “Americans are exhausted. They are at the end of their rope after five years of high prices.”

The polling and commentary coverage connects economic dissatisfaction and the Iran war to the political calendar, especially the midterm elections and the balance of power in Congress.

Le Devoir says, “All seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, as are a third of the Senate seats and several state governor posts,” and it describes the elections as a chance for voters to show “support or disapproval of the president, halfway through his term.”

Le Devoir

The same Le Devoir report quotes Eric Gertler, chief executive of U.S. News & World Report, saying, “Almost every election since World War II, with only two exceptions, the president’s party has lost seats.”

Le Devoir also states that “Currently, the Republicans control Congress,” and it says Democrats would need “only three seats to flip the House and four to take control of the Senate.”

It adds that “A divided Congress, or one with a Democratic majority, could block Trump’s path and create gridlock,” and it reports that “Already, Democratic lawmakers have said they would launch impeachment proceedings against Trump if they gained control of the House of Representatives.”

The Le Devoir piece also warns that close races could be contested, quoting Gertler again: “Many seats may not be allocated immediately to the House of Representatives, and we do not know exactly what the consequences will be.”

In Fox Business’s account, the midterm stakes are framed differently, with Larry Kudlow saying “Iran will be a sleeper issue come the midterms” and asserting that “there’s going to be a big surprise come this November.”

Different outlets portray the same underlying polling landscape in sharply contrasting ways, emphasizing either Trump’s record-low approval or a more favorable reading of issue trust and party support.

“Columnists Harvard-Harris Poll Shows America Is Behind Donald Trump and the GOP While some people may blame Republicans on the key issues of the day, they blame Democrats more”

The New York Sun

Forbes and AL both foreground low approval numbers, with Forbes describing “record-low” approval and AL reporting Trump’s approval at 34% and noting that “High gas prices and Trump’s handling of the Iran war contributed to the lowest approval rating of his second term.”

AL

By contrast, Fox Business presents the Harvard-Harris CAPS poll as evidence that “America is behind Donald Trump and the GOP,” and it argues that “Of the 2,745 registered voters who were surveyed, the split was 977 Republicans, 984 Democrats, and 785 Independents.”

Fox Business also claims that “74 percent of the voters believe the U.S. is currently winning in Iran” and that “74 percent believe Iran should be prevented from obtaining nukes,” while it asserts that “When you ask them who do you trust more to manage the economy, though, the responses are: Mr. Trump and Republicans 53 percent, Democrats 47 percent.”

The New York Sun headline similarly frames the Harvard-Harris poll as showing the country behind Trump and the GOP, stating “Harvard-Harris Poll Shows America Is Behind Donald Trump and the GOP,” even as it includes a line about blame shifting from Republicans to Democrats.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, emphasizes the Iran war’s unpopularity by comparing it to the Iraq War’s peak violence in 2006 and the Vietnam War in the early 1970s, saying the war is “as unpopular among Americans” as those periods.

Le Devoir adds another layer by focusing on inflation and purchasing power, quoting John Gerzema that “Americans are exhausted. They are at the end of their rope after five years of high prices,” and it reports that 55% see the country on the wrong track.