Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 37 per cent, the lowest level of his second term, according to a New York Times/Siena poll released on Monday. The decline comes as most American voters believe his decision to go to war with Iran was the wrong choice, with fewer than one in four saying the conflict has been worth the costs.
The economic fallout from the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began in late February, has pushed the average national fuel price to nearly $4.52 per gallon, up from $3.18 a year ago. Last week, Trump said: 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation,' when asked if economic hardship was motivating him to seek a peace deal.
Nearly two-thirds of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, an issue long seen as his political bedrock. A majority also give him poor marks on the cost of living, immigration and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Among independent voters, 47 per cent say his policies have personally hurt them, up from 41 per cent last autumn.
The rating has been in steady decline since his return to office in January 2025. By October 2025, it had already fallen to 42 per cent, erasing the goodwill from his election victory. The administration's heavy-handed deportation tactics, including two fatal incidents involving US citizens, and the Iran war have accelerated the slump.
John Johnson, a 78-year-old contractor from Kentucky who voted for Trump, told the Guardian: 'Everybody's suffering from gas prices. Is it handled right? I don't think so. It could have been handled differently, diplomatically more so.'
The poll does not offer straightforward comfort for Democrats either: only 26 per cent of voters are satisfied with the Democratic party, and 44 per cent of Democrats express dissatisfaction with their own party.
