Donald Trump's approval rating has hit a record low of 32 per cent, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, as Americans grapple with rising prices and the ongoing Iran war. The president, who stormed to victory in 2024 on promises of no new wars and cheaper prices, now faces a likely drubbing for Republicans in the Midterm elections.
Campaign Promises Broken
Two years after his election victory, prices are up, Americans are dealing with another Middle East conflict, and families have seen loved ones ripped from their homes or shot dead in the street by ICE agents, according to the report. The president's approval rating has collapsed ahead of the Midterms, with the Reuters/Ipsos poll highlighting his spectacular fall in public opinion.
Iran War and Tariffs Hit Wallets
Chief among Trump's blunders, according to his detractors, is the Iran war, which spiked petrol prices globally. Average petrol prices in the US have jumped between 38 and 44 per cent since the war began. Trump has threatened to wipe out Iran, normalising mass violence against its people, while justifying the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon—a claim challenged by numerous international analysts.
Trump has also hammered allies and foes alike with crippling tariffs, effectively taxing goods produced overseas and sold inside the US. The double blow has hit manufacturing and businesses in the UK and other countries, while forcing US companies to either swallow the additional costs or pass them on to customers. Many Americans now view the economy as their number one issue, with tariffs increasingly unpopular, according to multiple polls.
International Fallout and Immigration Crackdown
The second Trump term has upended the international order, with the president infuriating NATO allies by threatening to annex Greenland and hurling insults across the Atlantic. UK drivers have also felt the rising cost of petrol amid their own cost of living concerns.
While Trump has seen success in cutting immigration numbers significantly along the US-Mexico border, his methods have been questioned—even among his supporters. The killings of Alex Pretty and Renee Good sparked outrage after ICE agents appeared to open fire despite both arguably posing no imminent threat.
