EXCLUSIVE-Trump approval falls to record low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 32% - the lowest of his political career - as his fellow Republicans soured on his handling of ‌the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The four-day poll, which closed on Sunday, showed 73% of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance, down from 82% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll a week earlier. His overall approval stood at 35% that week.

Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 on promises ‌to tame inflation and end foreign wars. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the hours after he was sworn in, he enjoyed a 47% approval ‌rating. Just 17% of respondents in the new poll approved of his handling of the cost of living - the top issue Americans say will determine how they vote in the November 3 midterm elections, when Trump's Republicans are defending narrow congressional majorities.

IRAN TAKES A TOLL Dissatisfaction among Republicans on the subject has been growing since Trump launched the war on Iran in February that has pushed gasoline ⁠and diesel ​prices sharply higher. Now for the first ⁠time, Republicans who disapprove of Trump's handling of the cost of living outnumber those who give him a thumbs up - 51% to 44%.

Trump's approval rating is lower than any recorded for his Democratic ⁠predecessor, Joe Biden, whose presidency was also marked by surging inflation and who ultimately ended his reelection bid after a poor debate performance heightened concerns about his age. The Reuters/Ipsos poll ​showed registered voters in the poll picked Democrats over Republicans - 43% to 35% - when asked how they would vote in the midterms. The 8-point ⁠gap was the biggest lead for Democrats in Reuters/Ipsos polling this year. For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years of his term.

The poll results ⁠on ​congressional voting plans provide an overall view of which party Americans nationwide want to see in charge in Congress, though the results don't capture all the nuances of the state-by-state and district-by-district contests that determine control of the Senate and House of Representatives. Trump remains popular among Republicans on the issue of immigration - with ⁠79% of his party backing him - but only 36% of Americans overall support his approach to the matter and 55% disapprove. Some Republican allies in Congress ⁠have warned that his aggressive campaign to ⁠deport people in the country illegally risks alienating voters with family who recently immigrated to America, like some Hispanics.

Just 24% of Americans back his approach to the conflict with Iran. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered 1,277 responses from US ‌adults nationwide. It had ‌a margin of error of 3 percentage points.