A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to a career low of 32%, with only 17% approving of his management of living costs. This decline is attributed to growing discontent among Republicans over economic conditions, exacerbated by the military intervention in Iran which led to increased fuel prices. The poll also indicates that Democrats have a 43%-to-35% edge over Republicans in voter preferences for the upcoming midterm elections, potentially impacting Trump's legislative agenda in his final two years of office.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 32% — its lowest point in his political career — according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from September 17-20, 2025. This decline was driven by Republican dissatisfaction with his handling of the cost of living, particularly since he launched an unpopular war on Iran in February that has significantly increased gasoline and diesel prices. Only 17% of respondents approved of Trump's management of living costs, a critical issue leading up to the November 3 midterm elections where Republicans are defending narrow majorities in Congress. The poll also showed a decrease in Republican approval from 82% to 73% over just one week.
Written for “Trump Approval Rating Falls Low” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Public support for President Donald Trump has fallen to 32 percent—the lowest mark of his political career—as members of his own Republican party express growing discontent with his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular military intervention in Iran, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has revealed.
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poll → fall → Iran
The four-day survey, which concluded on Sunday, found that 73 percent of Republicans approved of Trump's overall performance in office.
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percent → conclude → office
This represents a drop from the 82 percent rating recorded in a Reuters/Ipsos poll the previous week, when his overall approval stood at 35 percent.
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approval → represent → percent
Trump re-entered the White House in January 2025 after campaigning on pledges to lower inflation and bring foreign wars to an end.
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- → re → end
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted immediately following his swearing-in ceremony, his approval rating was recorded at 47 percent.
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rating → conduct → percent
A mere 17 percent of respondents in the latest poll voiced approval for his handling of the cost of living.
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percent → voice → living
The issue remains the primary driver for voters heading into the November 3 midterm elections, in which Trump's fellow Republicans must defend narrow majorities across both houses of Congress.
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Republicans → remain → Congress
IRAN TAKES A TOLL
Frustration among Republicans concerning economic conditions has mounted since Trump launched the war against Iran in February, an action that led to sharp increases in gasoline and diesel prices.
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that → take → prices
For the first time, Republicans who disapprove of his management of the cost of living outnumber those who approve, by 51 percent to 44 percent.
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who → disapprove → percent
This approval rating is lower than any figure recorded for his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, whose presidency was likewise impacted by elevated inflation and who ultimately ended his campaign for reelection after a difficult debate performance highlighted concerns over his age.
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performance → record → age
The Reuters/Ipsos survey showed that registered voters favored Democrats over Republicans by 43 percent to 35 percent when asked about their voting intentions for the midterms.
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voters → show → midterms
The eight-point lead marks the widest margin for Democrats in Reuters/Ipsos polling so far this year.
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lead → mark → polling
Ceding control of either chamber of Congress could make it far more difficult for Trump to execute his agenda in the final two years of his term.
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Trump → cede → term
These findings on legislative voting intentions provide an overarching picture of which political party Americans prefer to see leading Congress, though the figures do not reflect all the local dynamics across individual state and district races that dictate control of the Senate and House of Representatives.
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that → provide → Representatives
Immigration remains a strong area for Trump among his base, with 79 percent of Republicans endorsing his actions.
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percent → remain → actions
However, just 36 percent of Americans overall support his approach to the issue, compared to 55 percent who disapprove.
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who → support → percent
Some Republican lawmakers have warned that aggressive deportation efforts risk distancing voters with family ties to recent immigrants, including Hispanic voters.
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efforts → warn → voters
Only 24 percent of the general public supports his handling of the conflict involving Iran.
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percent → support → Iran
The online Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,277 adults across the United States and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
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poll → gather → points
Trump’s approval rating was even lower in another poll conducted by American Research Group from Sept. 16-20 among 1,100 American adults.
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rating → conduct → adults
That survey showed the president with a 29% overall approval rating.
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survey → show → rating
"This poll is an outlier, as others are not as bleak for the president, but overall it's pretty clear that Trump's numbers are worse now than they were eight years ago," Kyle Kondik with the University of Virginia's Center for Politics told Newsweek.
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Kondik → tell → Newsweek
The Aporia
