Overview
- A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted Aug. 14–17 found President Trump’s approval at about 33 percent, the lowest of his second term and roughly tied with his prior low.
- Independent voters have swung sharply against Trump, with CNN analyst Harry Enten calculating a roughly 47-point net negative among independents compared with the start of the term.
- Political analysts cite the U.S. war with Iran and its economic effects—higher fuel and food prices driven by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—as the main reasons voters report dissatisfaction.
- Signs of Republican weakness include a drop in the share who ‘strongly approve’ of Trump, several recent special-election Democratic flips versus no Republican flips, and Democratic leads on some generic-ballot tests.
- Poll results vary by sample and method—Emerson finds higher approval among likely voters while Economist/YouGov and Angus Reid show similar low overall approval—but multiple polls agree on the directional decline and growing midterm risk for Republicans.