President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 32%, the lowest recorded in his political career by Reuters/Ipsos, as rising living costs and the war with Iran weigh on public opinion ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The new survey also found a nine-percentage-point decline in his approval among Republicans over the previous week.
The four-day poll, conducted September 17-20 and released Monday, showed Trump's overall approval slipping from 35% a week earlier. Among Republicans, 73% approved of his job performance, down from 82%, while dissatisfaction with his handling of household expenses reached a new level within his own party.
Only 17% of Americans surveyed approved of Trump's management of the cost of living, the issue respondents most frequently identified as important to their midterm voting decisions. For the first time during his second presidency, more Republicans disapproved of his performance on living costs than approved, by 51% to 44%.
The findings mark a substantial shift from the beginning of Trump's return to office in January 2025, when Reuters/Ipsos recorded his approval at 47%. His latest reading is also below the 33% low recorded during his first term and the 35% low recorded for former President Joe Biden.
The survey comes as higher gasoline and diesel prices place additional pressure on American households. Since the United States launched military operations against Iran on February 28, disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies have contributed to increased transportation costs and broader inflation concerns.
Diesel prices have been particularly affected. The national average exceeded $6 a gallon in September, raising expenses for trucking companies, agricultural businesses and other industries that depend heavily on fuel. Those costs can also reach consumers through higher prices for transported goods.
Researchers at Brown University's Climate Solutions Lab estimated that the Iran war had added more than $100 billion to Americans' gasoline and diesel bills by early September. Their analysis compares actual fuel prices with an estimated scenario in which the conflict had not occurred, rather than measuring the direct military cost of the war.
The conflict has also drawn limited public support. The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 34% of respondents approved of U.S. strikes against Iran, while 82% expected the fighting to continue. Trump has maintained that energy prices will fall substantially once the United States achieves its objectives.
The economic pressures present a campaign issue for Republicans, who are defending narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump returned to office promising to curb inflation and avoid prolonged foreign conflicts, commitments that have become central to public debate over his administration's handling of the economy and the Iran war.
The latest survey also found Democrats holding an eight-percentage-point lead over Republicans among registered voters asked which party they would support in the midterm elections. That measurement represents voter preferences during the September polling period, not a forecast of the November results.
Trump's approval on other major issues remained below a majority nationally. The poll found that 36% approved of his handling of immigration, while 55% disapproved. On crime, 35% approved of his performance, despite those issues remaining prominent parts of his administration's agenda.
The polling period coincided with several disputes involving the White House. Trump announced restrictions on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, while a separate controversy developed over his plans for the Kennedy Center in Washington. Those events occurred during the survey but cannot independently explain the movement in his approval rating.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey gathered responses from 1,277 U.S. adults nationwide using an online probability-based panel. Its margin of error was approximately three percentage points, meaning small differences between individual poll readings should be interpreted with caution.
