Latest Poll: Support for Trump "Plummets" to Lowest Point
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The decline in public support for US President Donald Trump is increasingly evident amid economic pressures and the impact of foreign conflicts, with the latest poll showing public satisfaction at its lowest point during his current term.
Based on the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week, only 34% of US citizens expressed satisfaction with Trump’s performance in the White House. This figure is down from 36% in the previous poll conducted in mid-April. The survey was carried out over four days and completed on Monday.
The majority of responses were collected before the shooting incident on Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was present. In that incident, an armed man was stopped before entering the room where Trump was dining.
Federal prosecutors have charged the perpetrator with attempted murder of the president. However, it is not yet known whether this event will affect public perception of Trump.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump’s approval rating has shown a continuous downward trend. At the start of his term, around 47% of US citizens gave him a positive assessment.
This decline has sharpened since the US, along with Israel, launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, which triggered a surge in global energy prices.
The impact has been directly felt domestically, particularly on the cost of living for the public. Only 22% of respondents expressed satisfaction with Trump’s handling of the cost of living, down from 25% in the previous poll.
The surge in fuel prices has become one of the main factors burdening public perception. Petrol prices in the US have jumped more than 40% to around US$4.18 per gallon since the conflict with Iran began. This increase was triggered by the disruption of about one-fifth of global oil trade due to the closure of major energy routes.
This situation is pressuring US households and sparking concerns among Republicans that they could lose control of Congress in the upcoming November midterm elections.
Nevertheless, Trump’s support base within the Republican Party remains fairly solid. Around 78% of respondents from that party still express support for him. However, even within his own party, 41% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the cost of living.
Meanwhile, independent voters, who often determine elections, are tending to favour the Democratic Party by a 14-point margin, namely 34% compared to 20% in congressional election preferences. Around a quarter of respondents in this group have yet to decide.
Trump previously won the 2024 presidential election with promises to lower prices after a period of high inflation in the Joe Biden era. However, his economic approval rating now stands at only 27%, lower than during his 2017-2021 administration and even below Biden’s lowest point on economic issues.
Although the conflict between the US and Iran has begun to ease after both sides agreed to a ceasefire earlier this month, tensions have not fully subsided. Threats from Iran are still hindering most oil shipments from the Persian Gulf, which in turn continues to drive up global energy prices amid declining oil reserves.
Public support for the conflict is also steadily declining. Only 34% of US citizens expressed agreement with US involvement in the conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March.
By comparison, during his first term, Trump’s popularity tended to stabilise around 40% for a considerable period. The latest figure is only slightly above the all-time low of his first term, which was 33%.
This Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online across the US, involving 1,269 adult respondents, including 1,014 registered voters, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.