President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest point of his second term so far, with growing numbers of Americans turning against him due – mostly – to both the war with Iran and the rising cost of living.
A recently collated and released New York Times/Siena poll found that just 37% of voters approve of the president’s performance in the job.
Those are the weakest figures that have been recorded since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 and a troubling sign for Republicans ahead of the US midterm elections.
The poll suggests that voters are becoming increasingly frustrated by the economic fallout linked to the conflict over in Iran.
Petrol prices have surged over the past year, household costs remain stubbornly high and many Americans appear unconvinced that the war is really worth it.
The nationwide average fuel price in the US now stands at almost $4.52 per gallon, according to AAA data. A year ago, it was just $3.18.
For plenty of voters, that matters far more than any geopolitical strategy or flimsy White House messaging.
Filling up the car has become noticeably more painful, particularly for people already struggling with their everyday bills. And it’s not a huge leap to connect these rising prices with military intervention in the Middle East.
Nearly two-thirds of voters now say Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran was the wrong one. Fewer than one in four Americans believe that the conflict has been worth the cost.
More than half of voters also said the US shouldn’t return to war with Iran if a diplomatic deal fails to materialise.
The issue remains sharply divided along party lines, though. Around 70% of Republicans still support Trump’s decision to enter the conflict.
The poll found that the US Commander-in-Chief is now running into the red across most major policy areas, including immigration, the economy, the cost of living and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Around 64% of voters told pollers that they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, which has traditionally been one of his strongest political issues.
His comments on the financial strain facing the electorate also attracted attention last week. Asked whether economic hardship was pushing him towards a peace deal, Trump replied: ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.’
Independent voters appear to be drifting away from him in growing numbers. Among independents, 47% now say Trump’s policies have personally hurt them. Last autumn, before the election, that figure stood at 41%.
Polling on Israel and Palestine also revealed shifting attitudes among younger Americans in particular. More respondents said they sympathised more with Palestinians than Israelis, by 37% to 35%.
Among voters aged between 18 and 29, the divide was much sharper. Around 64% said they sympathised more with Palestinians, while just 14% said they supported Israel more.
Support for further American backing of Israel was relatively limited overall, in fact. Only 37% of respondents supported additional economic and military support for Israel. Among younger adults, support was even lower. Just 5% of voters in the 18-29 age group backed additional support.
President Trump’s approval ratings had already been slipping before the latest crisis. By October 2025, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell found his approval rating had fallen to 42%. Researchers said at the time that much of the goodwill from his election victory appeared to have largely faded away.
The latest figures also underline a broader frustration with American politics more generally.
Democrats are hardly riding a wave of enthusiasm themselves. Only 26% of voters said they were satisfied with the Democratic Party, while 44% of Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with their own party.
Still, for The White House, the immediate concern is the growing sense that voters are seriously beginning to lose patience over rising costs and a war that many increasingly believe that the United States should never have entered in the first place.
In terms of polling, at least, it’s worrying times indeed for President Trump.
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