Trump approval sinks to record low as war with Iran drives cost-of-living concerns

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to the lowest level of his current term, as Americans increasingly soured on his handling of the cost of living and an unpopular war with Iran, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The four-day poll completed on April 27 showed 34 per cent of Americans approve of Mr Trump’s performance in the White House, down from 36 per cent in a prior Reuters/Ipsos survey, which was conducted from April 15 to 20.

The majority of responses were gathered prior to the shooting on the night of April 25 at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where Mr Trump was due to speak. It remains to be seen if the incident, in which a gunman was stopped before he could enter a hall where Mr Trump was dining, might affect people’s views of the US leader.

Federal prosecutors have charged the accused shooter with attempting to assassinate the President.

Mr Trump’s standing with the US public has trended lower since he took office in January 2025, when 47 per cent of Americans gave him the thumbs up.

His popularity has taken a beating since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb 28, which has led to a surge in petrol prices. Only 22 per cent of poll respondents approved of Mr Trump’s performance on the cost of living, down from 25 per cent in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Surging gas prices weigh on voters

US petrol prices have surged more than 40 per cent to roughly US$4.18 (S$5.30) a gallon since the US and Israel launched the surprise attacks on Iran, triggering a response that shut down a fifth of the global oil and gas trade.

The price hikes are weighing heavily on American households and fuelling concern among Mr Trump’s Republicans that they could lose control of the US Congress in the November midterm elections.

While a solid majority of Republicans – 78 per cent – still say they back Mr Trump, 41 per cent of the party say they disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Independent registered voters, a group that could be decisive in the midterms, favoured Democrats by 14 points, 34 per cent to 20 per cent, when asked who would get their vote in congressional elections. One in four said they were still undecided.

Mr Trump won the 2024 presidential election on promises to bring down prices after several years of high inflation vexed his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.

Now Mr Trump’s approval rating on the economy – at 27 per cent – is well below any reading he had during his 2017-2021 administration, and also lower than Mr Biden’s weakest economy rating.

While the US conflict with Iran has cooled since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire earlier in April, Iran’s threats are preventing most oil shipments from leaving the Persian Gulf, fuelling further increases in US and global energy prices as oil reserves decline.

Just 34 per cent of Americans approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36 per cent in mid-April and 38 per cent in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

During Mr Trump’s first administration, his popularity hovered around 40 per cent for long stretches. The latest reading remains a touch above the low point of his first term, which was 33 per cent.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted nationwide and online, gathered responses from 1,269 US adults, including 1,014 registered voters, and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. REUTERS