US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33%, its lowest level recorded in either of his presidential terms, according to a poll by Ipsos, The Washington Post and ABC News published two weeks before the midterm elections. The findings show that 66% of respondents disapprove of his performance, including 52% who strongly disapprove, as Republicans compete to retain control of Congress.
The approval rating is four percentage points below the figure recorded in July and 12 points lower than the 45% measured in February 2025. The Washington Post reported that the latest result represents Trump’s lowest approval rating, including at any point during his first term in office.
Among likely voters, 38% approve of the president’s performance, while 62% disapprove, according to the poll. The figures indicate that dissatisfaction with Trump extends beyond the broader population surveyed to those considered likely to participate in the forthcoming elections.
The survey identified the cost of living and Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran as major concerns among respondents. The conflict has affected petrol prices, adding to pressure on household budgets as voters prepare to elect members of Congress.
Seventy-one per cent of respondents described petrol prices as “unaffordable”, a substantial increase from the 28% who expressed that view in February, before the war in Iran drove up fuel costs. The change reflects a sharp rise in the proportion of Americans surveyed who consider fuel expenses beyond their means.
The poll also found that 72% of respondents believe the country is moving in the wrong direction. That figure is five percentage points higher than the level recorded in April, indicating an increase in negative assessments of the country’s trajectory over the period covered by the surveys.
The findings come as the Republican Party faces a contest for control of Congress in the midterm elections. The results place public dissatisfaction with the president’s performance, the cost of living and the consequences of the conflict with Iran at the centre of the political environment described by the survey.
The poll’s overall approval figures show a clear gap between those who support Trump’s management and those who oppose it. While one-third of respondents approve of his performance, two-thirds disapprove, and more than half of all respondents express strong disapproval. Among likely voters, the proportion disapproving of the president is also substantially higher than the proportion approving.
The rise in concern over petrol prices is particularly pronounced in the figures provided by the survey. In February, fewer than three in 10 respondents considered petrol unaffordable; by the latest poll, that proportion had risen to more than seven in 10. The survey links the change in public sentiment to the increase in fuel costs following the outbreak of war with Iran.
The poll’s assessment of the country’s direction also points to worsening sentiment since April, with the share of respondents who believe the United States is heading in the wrong direction reaching 72%. The results were released as the midterm elections approached, with the Republican Party seeking to maintain its position in Congress.
