President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has fallen to 35 percent, nearly matching the lowest point of his current term, according to a new national poll. The results, drawn from a four day survey that closed earlier this week, paint a picture of a president whose political coalition is showing real signs of strain, particularly among the Republican voters who form the backbone of his support.
Trump began his second term in January 2025 with a 47 percent approval rating. That figure has steadily eroded over the course of the year, dipping to 34 percent last month before ticking up slightly, then sliding again. The current reading of 35 percent reflects a one point drop from an earlier poll conducted this month.
Republican discontent grows quietly but clearly
The most significant finding in the new data is not the overall number but what is happening within Trump’s own party. The share of Republicans who disapprove of his performance has grown considerably since he took office. Just after his inauguration, only about 5 percent of Republicans said they had a negative view of his job performance. That figure has now risen to 21 percent, a shift that Republican strategists say deserves serious attention heading into the November midterm elections.
Overall, 79 percent of Republicans still say Trump is doing a good job, down from 82 percent earlier this month and from 91 percent at the start of his term. While that remains a strong figure in absolute terms, the direction of movement is what is drawing concern from political observers inside the party. Enthusiasm and turnout in midterm elections tend to be driven by motivated voters, and there are early signs that Republican voters may be less energized than their Democratic counterparts heading into November, when control of both chambers of Congress will be on the line.
The cost of living is where Trump is bleeding support
Among the specific issues driving Republican discontent, the cost of living stands out as the most damaging. Trump made economic relief a central promise of his 2024 campaign, positioning himself as the candidate who would reverse the inflation that defined the Biden years. But the numbers suggest that promise has not translated into felt relief for many Americans, including those within his own party.
Only 47 percent of Republicans give Trump a positive rating on his handling of the cost of living, while 46 percent say he is doing a poor job on the issue. Among the broader American public, the picture is even starker, with just one in five respondents approving of how he has managed living costs. The primary driver of that frustration is gasoline prices, which have risen roughly 50 percent since Trump ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside Israel. The conflict effectively shut down a significant portion of global oil trade, sending fuel costs surging at the pump for American consumers.
Iran remains a political liability
The Iran conflict, now in its fourth month following a fragile ceasefire established in April, continues to weigh on Trump’s numbers. While Trump has pointed to the military campaign as a success, citing strikes that eliminated senior Iranian leadership, the economic consequences have been difficult to ignore. Iran has largely blocked oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor that previously handled roughly a fifth of the world’s oil trade.
Just 62 percent of Republicans approve of how Trump has handled the situation in Iran, with 28 percent disapproving. Among Democrats, opposition is overwhelming, and roughly two thirds of independents also view his Iran policy unfavorably. Taken together, only about one in four Americans believes the military action in Iran has been worth the cost, with approximately half of Republicans sharing that view.
What the numbers mean for November
Trump’s immigration policy remains a relative bright spot, with 82 percent of Republicans approving of his approach, largely unchanged from earlier in his term. But on the economic issues that tend to determine midterm outcomes, the warning signs are accumulating. A president whose party is defending its congressional majorities in a climate of rising prices, an unpopular foreign conflict, and softening base enthusiasm faces a genuinely difficult political environment, and the poll numbers suggest that environment is getting harder, not easier.
