Voters are increasingly unhappy with President Donald Trump’s handling of his job amid the Iran war and the rising costs associated with it, a new record-low approval rating indicates.
In a survey of 1,500 registered voters, just 37 percent said they approve of Trump’s job as president, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in mid-May. Approximately 59 percent said they do not approve of Trump’s performance.
Trump received low marks from voters on his handling of the Iran war, with 65 percent disapproving of it and more than half of respondents saying he made the wrong decision to spark conflict with Iran back in February.
But the president sees his lowest approval from both Republican and Democratic voters when it comes to his handling of the cost of living in the United States.
Approximately 69 percent of voters said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of it, with Republicans making up a third of those who disapprove.
Despite campaigning on a promise to lower everyday costs for Americans, from the gas pump to the grocery store aisle, inflation has steadily increased over the last year, particularly when it comes to energy.
In April, gas prices exceeded $4 per gallon on average for the first time since 2022. As of May 18, the average cost per gallon of regular gas is $4.51.
Those rising energy costs are associated with the war in Iran, which has disrupted global oil prices amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 25 percent of the world’s oil is transported.
Trump and senior members of his administration have insisted that high gas prices are a temporary side-effect of the Iran war and that upon its conclusion, they will plummet. But it’s unclear when the conflict will end. So far, the U.S., Israel, and Iran have failed to reach a peace deal and negotiations have seemingly stalled.
Voters in the U.S. are growing more pessimistic about the prospect of the war ending any time soon, with half of survey respondents saying they do not think the U.S. will be able to end Iran’s nuclear program. More than half of voters said they do not believe the costs will outweigh the benefits of starting a war with Iran.
Most voters do not want the U.S. to resume war with Iran, even if U.S. negotiators cannot reach a deal with Iran to end its nuclear enrichment program soon. Last month, Trump threatened to resume bombing Iran, even taking out its civilian infrastructure, unless Tehran capitulated to Trump’s demands. While the president has not followed through on that promise, it’s a possibility until a deal is reached.
Republicans are still largely supportive of Trump’s policies – 82 percent said they approve of Trump’s handling of his job, especially when it comes to immigration. Most still support his war in Iran, though nearly a quarter are unsure if it was the right decision.
However, the president has largely lost ground among his party’s voters on the economy and the cost of living.
The Consumer Price Index, which acts as a key measure of inflation, found that consumer prices continued to increase in April – up 3.8 percent from last year. Grocery prices have risen 2.9 percent since last year. Mortgage rates have steadily increased since 2022, but data from Freddie Mac show that rates, once again, jumped shortly after the Iran war.
Trump’s record-low approval rating mirrors results from other polls.
A CNN/SSRS poll found Trump’s approval rating is around 35 percent. In a CBS News/YouGov survey, approximately 70 percent of respondents said they were “angry” or “frustrated” by Trump’s economic policies. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that Trump’s approval rating was just 36 percent.
