A trio of political polls indicate public approval of Donald Trump’s management of the US economy, immigration and the Iran conflict is slipping, flashing warning lights for Trump-aligned Republican candidates with six months to go until the US midterm elections.
Polls by Reuters-Ipsos, Strength in Numbers-Verasight and AP-NORC had the president’s approval rating hovering in the mid-30s, at 36%, 35% and 33% respectively, which are near his lowest numbers. The AP-NORC poll found that seven in 10 Americans described the economy as poor and think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Trump’s handling of the economy has fallen to 30% approval, down from 38% in March, while 72% said the country is headed in the wrong direction. Just 23% approve of how he is handling the cost of living, while 76% disapprove. A Reuters-Ipsos poll also found that 52% of Americans said they were less likely to support a candidate who backs Trump’s approach to deportations, compared to 42% who said they were more likely.
An NBC News poll found that Trump’s personal approval rating has hit a second-term low, with 37% of adults approving, while 63% disapprove. Among those, 50% said they disapprove strongly. Despite some signs of fracturing in Trump’s base, 83% of Republicans still give Trump a positive approval rating, down 4 points from earlier this year.
The economy continues to be the top issue, with 29% saying it is the issue that matters most to them right now, while 24% said threats to democracy, 12% said healthcare and 10% said crime and safety. Meanwhile, two-thirds disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, with one-third approving. A majority of 61% said the US should not take any further military action in Iran.
