Trump's Approval Rating Plunges to Record-Low 31% as Midterms Near, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record low of 31% just two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Monday, underscoring deep voter frustration over high living costs and the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran.

Only 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level of either of his presidential terms, the four-day nationwide poll found.

The poll also delivered grim news for congressional Republicans. Asked which party they would vote for if the midterm elections were held today — the so-called generic ballot — some 47% of registered voters picked Democrats and 35% chose Republicans. The 12-point Democratic advantage was the widest of the current election cycle, a sharp jump from the 7-point Democratic lead (44% to 37%) recorded in the same poll two weeks earlier.

Women Lead the Shift

Much of the Republican slide came from women: 50% of female voters said they would vote Democratic, compared with just 32% for Republican candidates. Men also favored Democrats, though by a smaller margin.

The economy remains Trump's Achilles' heel. Some 68% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy, including 37% of self-identified Republicans. On the question of which party would be the better steward of the economy, voters picked Democrats over Republicans, 40% to 33%.

Trump's popularity has suffered since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside US ally Israel. The war triggered a surge in gasoline prices, hitting household finances hard — and high fuel costs were cited as a key driver of the latest decline.

Stakes for November 3

All 435 House seats and 33 of the 100 Senate seats are up for election. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both chambers — 218-214 in the House and 53-47 in the Senate — but experts say Trump's record-low standing could fuel Democratic efforts to flip one or both.

For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years of his term. Generic ballot polls reflect national sentiment rather than the district-by-district contests that decide control, where Republicans hold some structural advantages — but the trend is unmistakable.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted online among 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points for all respondents and 3 points for registered voters.

Sources: Reuters/Ipsos poll (via The Japan Times), Al Jazeera, Financial Express.