The price of war: Trump's support at a low, Republicans fear election loss
A Reuters and Ipsos poll shows an unprecedented low in support for the president against the backdrop of the ongoing fighting in the Gulf, the surge in fuel prices, and fears of a prolonged entanglement. Only 33% said they are satisfied with his performance, about 80% believe the conflict will not end soon, and ahead of the midterm elections, the Democrats are taking the lead on issues of economy and cost of living as well.
The approval rating of US President Donald Trump has dropped to a new low, against the backdrop of growing concern among an overwhelming majority of Americans that the war with Iran will last a long time. This is according to a Reuters and Ipsos poll whose results were published this evening (Monday).
Only 33% of respondents in the poll, which was conducted over four days, said they were satisfied with Donald Trump's performance in the White House, compared to 64% who said they were not satisfied. Donald Trump's approval rating is now the lowest of his entire current term, and it matches the low recorded during his previous term in December 2017.
After returning to the White House in 2025 with less than half of the citizens supporting his presidency, Donald Trump's popularity took a hard hit this year after he ordered the strikes in Iran alongside Israel. The war in the Gulf paralyzed a fifth of global oil trade, led to a surge in fuel prices in the US — which is weighing on American households — and also on Donald Trump's Republican allies, who are trying to defend their majority in Congress in the midterm elections in November.
Donald Trump, who ran his campaign under promises to curb inflation and avoid prolonged wars, pledged that the confrontation with Iran would last only a few weeks. However, Iran proved resilient and managed to continue and significantly disrupt oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, even after a ceasefire was reached, to one degree or another.
According to the latest poll, about 80% of Americans — including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans — believe that American involvement in Iran "will last a prolonged period." Only 16% said they estimate the conflict will end within a few weeks. Last Friday, Donald Trump said at a political rally in New York state that paying "a little more" for fuel is a price worth paying to ensure that a "very evil country" cannot obtain nuclear weapons. According to the poll now, only one in five Americans, and only half of Republicans, believe the war was worth the price.
The fears about the war and fuel prices are raising concern among Republicans regarding their chances of maintaining their slim majority in the houses of representatives that will be held on November 3, while Democrats estimate they have more and more ability to take over the Senate. Reuters polls conducted this month indicated that for the first time in a decade, voters prefer Democrats over Republicans when it comes to managing the economy. In the latest poll, 38% of voters said they believe Democrats would manage the economy better, compared to 35% who preferred the Republican approach. Democrats are also perceived as those who can deal better with the cost of living.
The Republican approach toward immigration is still more popular than that of the Democrats throughout Donald Trump's term, against the backdrop of the sharp decline in the number of border crossings and the ongoing nationwide operation against migrants that the president ordered. However, Republicans are losing their advantage on this issue as well following deadly clashes and an increase in the number of detainees, including children. According to the poll, about 40% of voters said that Republicans have a better approach on the issue of immigration policy, compared to 38% who chose the Democrats. The two-percent gap is the smallest recorded during Donald Trump's term. In January 2025, Republicans led on this issue by a 26-percent margin.
Reuters noted that the poll was conducted online and included responses from 1,166 adults across the US. The margin of error for the poll is three percent in each direction.
