WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s approval rating remained near the lowest level of his political career, with widespread concerns over rising prices continuing to weigh on his standing following a major midterm election defeat for the Republican Party, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday.
Only 32% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in the White House, unchanged from two previous Reuters/Ipsos polls conducted between late October and early November. The latest figure is just one percentage point above his career low of 31%, recorded in mid-October.
The findings come days after Republicans suffered significant losses in the November 3 midterm elections, losing control of both chambers of Congress. Democrats made gains in traditionally Republican strongholds, including Kansas, South Carolina and Texas, while securing their biggest victory in the House of Representatives since at least 2008.
The results reflected voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and his decision to launch a war against Iran in February, which drove fuel prices higher and added pressure on household budgets.
According to the poll, only 21% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, while 25% support his broader economic performance, making these among the weakest areas of his presidency.
The economic backlash has also affected Republican candidates who campaigned on Trump’s agenda. Reuters election analysis found that Republicans lost ground in 99% of approximately 2,100 counties where most votes had been counted by the morning after the election, indicating a broad shift across urban, suburban, wealthy and poorer areas.
Democratic gains have set the stage for a challenging final two years of Trump’s presidency, with the party preparing to use its control of Congress to oppose his policies and increase scrutiny of his administration. It will be the first time during his second term that Trump has faced Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate.
Immigration remains a comparatively stronger issue for the president, with 38% of Americans approving of his policies in this area, considerably higher than his ratings on the economy and cost of living.
The divide is also evident among Republican voters. Around 81% of Republican respondents approve of Trump’s immigration policies, compared with 50% who support his handling of the cost of living.
Trump has significantly expanded deportations since returning to the White House in January 2025. Last week, he promoted Stephen Miller, a key architect of his hardline immigration policies, to the position of White House chief of staff, signalling continuity on an issue that retains considerable support among Republican voters.
Trump began his second term with a 47% approval rating in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the hours following his inauguration in January 2025. His subsequent decline has coincided with growing dissatisfaction over living costs and the war with Iran, which have increasingly overshadowed his administration’s domestic agenda.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online nationwide from November 6 to 9, with responses from 1,705 US adults. It had a margin of error of approximately two percentage points.
