A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed US President Donald Trump's popularity falling to 34 percent, coinciding with a rise in gasoline prices by more than 40 percent and the unpopular war with Iran, amid Republican concern about the loss of Congress and a clear lead for the Democrats among independent voters.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 03:25 Last updated: 04/29/2026 - 09:16

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that President Donald Trump's popularity has fallen to the lowest level of his current term, with Americans growing dissatisfied with his handling of rising costs of living and the unpopular war against Iran.

According to the poll, which lasted for four days and ended on Monday, the percentage of those who approved of Trump’s performance in the White House was only 34 percent, compared to 36 percent in a poll conducted between April 15 and 20.

The majority of the answers came before the shooting incident on Saturday evening during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where Trump was scheduled to deliver a speech, before federal prosecutors charged the shooter with an attempt to assassinate the president.

Reuters/Ipsos data shows that Trump began his second term in January 2025 with 47 percent support, but his percentage declined sharply since the United States participated alongside Israel in waging war on Iran on February 28, and the accompanying jumps in fuel prices. Only 22 percent of participants gave the president a positive evaluation of the cost of living issue, down from 25 percent in the previous poll.

Read also: The shooting during the White House Correspondents' Dinner raises questions about the US President's security arrangements

High cost of living

Figures indicate that gasoline prices in the United States have risen by more than 40 percent, reaching about $4.18 per gallon since the start of the attacks on Iran and Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted about a fifth of global oil trade.

This pressure on American household budgets has raised concerns among Republicans about the possibility of losing control of Congress in the midterm elections scheduled for November.

Although Trump retained the support of a strong majority of Republicans, amounting to 78 percent, 41 percent of the party's supporters expressed their dissatisfaction with his management of the high prices issue. Registered independent voters - a likely bloc in congressional elections - showed a clearer bias toward the Democrats by 14 points (34 percent versus 20 percent), while about a quarter of respondents said that they had not yet decided who they would vote for.

The results of the poll reveal that the percentage of support for Trump’s way of managing the economy fell to 27 percent, a lower level than what he recorded during his first term between 2017 and 2021, and also lower than the lowest percentage of support achieved by his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

Although the pace of the American-Iranian conflict calmed down after the ceasefire agreement at the beginning of the month, the continued Iranian threats are disrupting most oil shipments from the Gulf, which is pushing American and global energy prices to rise further as reserves erode.

As for public opinion’s position on the war itself, the poll showed that only 34 percent of Americans support the American-Iranian conflict, compared to 36 percent in mid-April and 38 percent in mid-March.

Although Trump's popularity during his first term often remained around 40 percent, the current percentage is still close to the lowest level he recorded at that time, at 33 percent.

The poll, which was carried out online across the United States, was based on a sample of 1,269 adults, including 1,014 registered voters, with a margin of error of three percentage points.

France 24/Reuters

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