The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that ended Monday, US President Trump's approval rating fell to its lowest level during his current presidential term, and the vast majority of Americans are worried that the war between the US and Iran will continue for a long time.
In this four-day survey, only 33% of respondents said they approved Trump's performance in the White House, while 64% said they disapproved. Trump's approval rating is lower than 35% in a poll that ended earlier this month, and lower than any period during his current term, and is now equal to the record low set by his previous term in December 2017.
Trump's approval rating falls to its lowest point since his second term
When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he received the support of nearly half of Americans. However, his popularity took a hit this year after he ordered an attack on Iran with America's ally Israel. The ensuing conflict paralysed one-fifth of the world's oil trade, caused gasoline prices to soar, and put a burden on American households — and put pressure on Trump's Republican allies who are trying to secure a majority in Congress in November's midterm elections.
Trump promised during his campaign to control inflation and avoid a protracted war, and he initially promised that the conflict with Iran would only take a few weeks. However, facts have proven that Iran is extremely resilient, and even if the conflict cools down, oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked.
The poll found that about 80% of Americans — including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans — think America's involvement in Iran's affairs “will continue for quite some time.” Only 16% said the conflict could end within a few weeks.
Most interviewees think the US war in Iran will continue for a long time
Trump defends high oil prices
Trump said at a political rally in Garden City, New York on Friday that “paying that little bit more for your gasoline” is worth the cost of making sure “a very evil country” cannot have nuclear weapons — this is one of his reasons for this war.
Throughout the conflict, the president wavered between threatening to escalate the situation and asserting that a peace agreement was imminent. A recent poll found that only one-fifth of Americans — and just half of Republicans — thought the war was worth it.
Concerns about war and gasoline prices make Republicans uneasy about their hopes of retaining a weak majority in the House of Representatives in the November 3 election, while Democrats increasingly believe that the US Senate is also in their hands.
This month's poll shows that for the first time in nearly a decade, voters believe that the Democratic Party is better at governing the economy than the Republican Party. According to the latest polls, 38% of voters think the Democratic Party can handle economic issues better, while 35% prefer the Republican approach. The Democratic Party is also seen as more capable of dealing with the cost of living.
Who handles the cost of living better?
Throughout Trump's term, the Republican Party's approach to immigration issues has always been more popular than that of the Democratic Party, the number of people crossing the border has dropped dramatically, and Trump has ordered continued nationwide crackdowns. But with deadly clashes and a surge in internees, including children, the Republican Party is losing ground.
According to the latest polls, about 40% of registered voters say the Republican Party has better immigration policy practices, while 38% chose the Democratic Party. This difference of 2 percentage points is the lowest value during Trump's term. In January 2025, the Republican Party was 26 percentage points ahead.
Whose immigration policy is better?
The poll was conducted online and collected responses from 1,166 American adults across the country, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.