President Trump's Approval Rating Drops to Historic Low of 32 Percent Ahead of Midterm Elections

2026-09-22 politics

Washington, Monday, 21 September 2026.
Rising fuel costs from the Iran war pushed President Donald Trump’s approval to a career-low 32%, with a majority of Republicans now disapproving of his cost-of-living management.

Historic Lows in Presidential Approval

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 32 percent, marking the lowest point of his political career and signaling significant turbulence just six weeks before the midterm elections [1][2]. This fresh data from a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on September 21, 2026, represents a stark decline from the 47 percent approval rating recorded at the beginning of his second term in January 2025 [2][4]. The drop constitutes a -31.915 percent decrease in support since the inauguration, reflecting deepening public dissatisfaction [2]. Concurrently, the President’s disapproval rating has climbed to 66 percent, a 25 percentage point increase from the start of his second White House stint [1].

Economic Strain and Foreign Policy Impact

A primary driver of the declining approval numbers appears to be the economic fallout from the conflict with Iran, which commenced in February 2026 [3][4]. The war has disrupted Middle East oil and gas production, triggering inflationary concerns and rising fuel costs that resonate with domestic voters [4]. Only 17 percent of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos survey approve of the President’s handling of the cost of living, while 51 percent of Republicans now disapprove of his management of economic issues [3][4]. This marks a shift within the President’s own party, where approval of his performance dropped to 73 percent from 82 percent the previous week [3].

Midterm Election Implications

The political ramifications for the Republican Party are becoming increasingly visible in generic ballot testing. Registered voters currently favor Democrats over Republicans for the upcoming midterm elections by a margin of 43 percent to 35 percent, representing the widest lead for Democrats in Reuters/Ipsos polling in 2026 [2][4]. This eight-point margin presents a challenging environment for Republicans who must defend narrow majorities in both houses of Congress [3]. A New York Times/Siena University poll further corroborates these findings, showing Republicans trailing Democrats on key issues including immigration, healthcare, and the economy [8].

Sources

Midterm elections Approval rating