WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33 per cent, the lowest level of his current presidency, as growing concerns about the prolonged conflict with Iran, higher gasoline prices and economic uncertainty weigh on public sentiment.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday, only 33 per cent of Americans surveyed approved of Trump’s performance as president, while 64 per cent disapproved.
The latest result represents a decline from the 35 per cent approval rating recorded in a Reuters/Ipsos survey earlier this month. It also matches the lowest approval level Trump recorded during his first presidential term, reached in December 2017.
Trump returned to the White House last year with approval from just under half of Americans, but his popularity has declined amid the expanding U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran.
The president had campaigned partly on promises to control inflation and keep the United States out of prolonged overseas wars. However, his decision to order strikes against Iran alongside U.S. ally Israel has become an increasingly important political issue.
Trump has argued that military action was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon that could pose a threat internationally. He initially suggested the conflict could be resolved within a matter of weeks.
Public expectations now appear considerably more pessimistic.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that approximately 80 per cent of Americans believe U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict will continue for an extended period. That view crosses party lines, with 87 per cent of Democrats and 71 per cent of Republicans expecting a prolonged American involvement.
Only 16 per cent of respondents said they believed the conflict was likely to end within a few weeks.
The economic consequences of the war are also creating challenges for the Trump administration. The conflict has severely disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for global energy supplies.
The disruption has contributed to rising gasoline prices, increasing financial pressure on American households and potentially adding to broader concerns about the cost of living.
Iran has continued to restrict much of the oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz despite some reduction in the intensity of the conflict, extending uncertainty in international energy markets.
The political consequences could extend beyond Trump personally. Republicans are preparing to defend their congressional majorities in the November midterm elections, making voter concerns about the war, inflation, gasoline prices and the economy particularly significant.
A prolonged conflict could become increasingly difficult politically for an administration that came to office promising both economic stability and an avoidance of lengthy foreign military engagements.
The latest poll suggests the Iran conflict has become an important test of public confidence in Trump’s leadership, with concern extending even into his own Republican political base.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online over four days and surveyed 1,166 adults across the United States. It has a margin of error of approximately three percentage points in either direction.
With only months remaining before the midterm elections, Trump’s falling approval rating and widespread expectations of a prolonged Iran conflict could become significant factors in determining whether Republicans can maintain control of Congress.