Trump approval hits record low of 33% as Iran war takes toll on economy

U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency, with just 33% of Americans approving of his performance.

The poll conducted by Ipsos on August 14-17 represented a 33% approval rating ties Trump’s previous low from December 2017, while 64% of respondents now disapprove.

This trend is occurring amid the continuing conflict with Iran, which keeps disrupting global oil transactions and raising gas prices.

The poll results show that the dissatisfaction of even Trump's hardcore supporters has increased. Only 14% of Americans “strongly approve” of his presidency, and it is a decrease of 12 percentage points from February 2025. The Economist/YouGov poll showed Trump's all-time low of 63% disapproval rating.

The disapproval escalated with the Iran war, which paralysed approximately 20% of global oil trade, and prompted a surge in gas and food prices. Some 80% of Americans, including 71% of Republicans, believe U.S involvement in Iran will continue for an extended period.

The preference of voters has now shifted to Republicans as better stewards of the economy for the first time in about a decade, with 38% favouring Democrats compared to 35% for Republicans.

The declining support of Trump's base may create problems in the coming November midterms. Since he has made it a point that his strategy for success lies in ratcheting up turnout of supporters, the disappointed voters may affect Republican chances of retaining their thin House majority.

In the case of immigration too, Trump's strength has weakened, where Republicans have a two-point edge over Democrats compared to a 26-point edge in January 2025.