US President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 32 percent — the lowest of his political career — as fellow Republicans sour on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found. The four-day poll, which closed on Sunday, showed that only 73 percent of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance, down from 82 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll a week earlier. His overall approval stood at 35 percent then.

Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 on promises to tame inflation and end foreign wars. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the hours after he was first sworn in, he enjoyed a 47 percent approval rating. That number has now fallen sharply, reflecting growing discontent among his base.

Just 17 percent of respondents in the new poll approved of his handling of the cost of living — the top issue for Americans. They say it will determine how they vote in the November 3 midterm elections, when Trump's Republicans are defending narrow congressional majorities. The dissatisfaction among Republicans has been growing since Trump launched the war on Iran in February, which has pushed gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher.

Now, for the first time, Republicans who disapprove of Trump's handling of the cost of living outnumber those who give him a thumbs up — 51 percent to 44 percent. This marks a significant shift in sentiment within his own party, as economic concerns outweigh traditional party loyalty.

Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is "hopefully toward the end" of its war with Iran, raising the prospect of renewed diplomacy even as fighting continues in Yemen. However, Tehran has not confirmed that direct negotiations with Washington have resumed, leaving the situation uncertain.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered 1,277 responses from US adults nationwide. It had a margin of error of three percentage points.

Source: www.aljazeera.com