Trump approval falls to career low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

US President Donald J. Trump looks on as he makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 18, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 - President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 32% - the lowest of his political career - as his fellow Republicans soured on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The four-day poll, which closed on Sunday, showed 73% of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance, down from 82% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll a week earlier. His overall approval stood at 35% that week.

Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 on promises to tame inflation and end foreign wars. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the hours after he was first sworn in, he enjoyed a 47% approval rate.

Just 17% of respondents in the new poll approved of his handling of the cost of living - the top issue Americans say will determine how they vote in the November 3 midterm elections, when Trump's Republicans are defending narrow congressional majorities.

Dissatisfaction among Republicans on the subject has been growing since Trump launched the war on Iran in February that has pushed gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher. Now for the first time, Republicans who disapprove of Trump's handling of the cost of living outnumber those who give him a thumbs up - 51% to 44%.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered 1,277 responses from US adults nationwide. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. REUTERS