US President Donald Trump's approval rating hits new low of 36% 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.

The four-day poll, completed on Monday, showed 36% of Americans approve of Trump's ‌job performance, down from 40% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.

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

Only 29% of the ​country approves of Trump's economic stewardship, the lowest rating in either of Trump's presidential administrations and lower than any economic approval rating of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. Voters' worries ​about the economy and specifically the rising cost of living were a significant factor in Biden's loss and Trump campaigned on a promise to create a ⁠vibrant economy.

Analysts said the poll points to a president facing significant public opposition.

"It's important that people know that the president feels their pain and that help is on the way," said Amanda Makki, a ​Republican political strategist and lawyer.

More troops to the region

Some 46% of respondents said the war in Iran will make the US less safe in the long run, according to the latest poll. Only 26% said it would make the country safer and the rest said it wouldn't have much effect either ​way. While Trump in recent days has suggested ​the war could soon wind down, Iran ⁠has disputed Trump's claims that negotiations were underway and Reuters reported on Tuesday that Washington is expected to send thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East.

The average price of gasoline in America has surged by about a dollar a gallon since the war started, as the conflict has severely curtailed ​oil shipments from the Middle East to the rest of the world. Experts warn that persistently higher fuel prices will eventually hit the ​wider economy.

Already, some 63% of ⁠Americans consider the US economy to be "somewhat weak" or "very weak," the poll found. That included 40% of Republicans, 66% of independents and 84% of Democrats.

"This provides a huge opportunity for Democrats to make major strides in the midterms by focusing on issues that are traditionally more Republican issues, like national security, the economy and immigration," said Doug Farrar, a Democratic strategist.

Some 38% of registered voters in the Reuters/Ipsos poll ​said Republicans were the better stewards of the US economy, compared to 34% who picked Democrats on the issue.

The poll, which ​was conducted online and nationwide, gathered responses from 1,272 US adults and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.