Trump’s approval hits new 36% low as fuel prices surge amid Iran war, poll finds

US President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell in recent days to its lowest point since he returned to the White House, hit by a surge in fuel prices and widespread disapproval of the war he launched on Iran, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Americans’ views on Trump soured significantly with regard to his stewardship over the cost of living, as petrol prices have surged since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28. Just 25 per cent of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, an issue that was at the centre of his 2024 ⁠presidential election campaign.

Trump’s standing within his Republican Party remains mostly strong. Only about one in five Republicans said they disapprove of ‌his overall performance in the White House, little changed from about one in seven last week. But the share of Republicans who disapprove of his handling of the cost of living ‌rose to 34 per cent from 27 per cent last week.

Trump’s approval rating was 47 per cent in the first days of his presidency ⁠and since last summer ⁠had largely held around 40 per cent.

The war in Iran could be changing that for a president who took office promising to avoid “stupid wars.” The ‌survey found 35 per cent of Americans approve of the US strikes on Iran, down from 37 per cent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week. Some 61 per cent disapproved of the strikes, compared with 59 per cent last week.