Trump's Approval Rating Plummets to Historic Low
President Donald Trump's approval rating has sunk to its lowest level ever recorded, with voters expressing significant displeasure over the ongoing war with Iran and the escalating cost of living. A new poll conducted by the Daily Mail and JL Partners reveals that Trump's approval rating has slipped to just 42 percent, marking a notable decline from previous measurements.
Declining Support Amid International Conflict
This latest figure represents a drop from the 44 percent approval rating Trump received on March 3, just days after the Iran conflict began. The President had maintained a relatively stronger 48 percent approval rating as recently as late January, indicating a rapid erosion of public support. Trump's performance in the Middle East appears to be a primary driver of this disappointment, with 28 percent of respondents citing the war as their top reason for disapproving of the President's job performance. This represents a significant increase from the 20 percent who selected Middle East concerns in early March.
Despite these declining numbers, President Trump continued to publicly champion the Iran war effort on Friday, telling guests at the White House that "We're doing extremely well in Iran." However, the poll data suggests the American public remains unconvinced, with support for the military action declining from 40 percent to just 33 percent since the conflict's early days, while opposition has grown to 49 percent.
Economic Concerns Compound Political Troubles
An even larger segment of the population, 44 percent, reported disapproving of Trump due to inflation concerns - up from 38 percent at the beginning of March. The Iran war has already created tangible economic pain for Americans, particularly at the gasoline pump where prices have risen to $3.90 per gallon nationally, compared to $2.90 per gallon before U.S. strikes began on February 28.
A staggering 54 percent of registered voters said they would blame Trump if gas prices continued to rise as a result of the conflict, with only 20 percent pointing the finger at Iran. Even among Trump's own voters, 27 percent would assign blame to the President, while 38 percent would blame Iran. There appears to be very little public appetite for accepting gas price hikes to guarantee military victory, with only 19 percent saying they would tolerate prices increasing by $1, and just 12 percent expressing willingness to accept a $2 increase to win the war.
Broader Economic Sentiment Worsens
In 2024, Trump campaigned on promises to curb inflation and improve President Joe Biden's post-COVID economy, while also pledging to keep the United States out of "forever" wars. Current economic sentiment has reached its lowest point since Trump's inauguration, with 54 percent of registered voters believing the economy is worsening - up from 44 percent last month. Only 16 percent believe the economy is improving, representing a 14 percent drop from the previous month.
War Support Erodes Across Political Spectrum
The President's base continues to support him, though by a reduced margin. In the Daily Mail's March 3 survey, 75 percent of Trump voters supported the war, while 10 percent were opposed. Two weeks later, support among Trump voters had declined to 61 percent, with opposition growing to 22 percent. Democrats have become increasingly opposed to the conflict, with current numbers showing 76 percent in opposition and only 11 percent in support.
Independents, whom Republicans will need to attract to survive the upcoming midterm elections, oppose the war by a two-to-one margin - 50 percent to 24 percent. Approximately 36 percent of voters believe striking Iran was the right decision, while 48 percent argue it was wrong, and 15 percent remain unsure. Notably, one in four Trump voters now believe striking Iran was the wrong course of action.
Casualty Tolerance Remains Low
Voters demonstrated little tolerance for a high-casualty conflict, with only 13 percent saying up to 100 American fatalities would be acceptable. When presented with the possibility of 1,000 fatalities, just 9 percent found that acceptable, and only 7 percent expressed willingness to accept up to 10,000 deaths. Thirteen U.S. troops have already been killed in the war, with more than 200 injured.
Vance Emerges as Relative Bright Spot
A glimmer of positive news emerges for Vice President JD Vance, whose approval rating has remained stable at 47 percent - now five points higher than President Trump's. Vance's numbers have not taken the same hit since the advent of the Iran war, suggesting a potential divergence in public perception between the two leaders.
The poll surveyed 1,037 registered voters online from March 18 to 20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. These findings paint a challenging political landscape for the Trump administration as it navigates both international conflict and domestic economic pressures.
