Trump Loses Key Weapon as US Public Trust Plummets
Public trust in President Donald Trump’s ability to manage the US economy has continued to weaken. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democrats have overtaken Republicans on the economic issue for the first time in nearly a decade, amid plummeting satisfaction with Trump.
The survey, conducted among 4,505 US adults, found that 37% of registered voters believe Democrats are better at handling the economy, slightly ahead of the 36% who favour Republicans.
Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 35%, down from 37% in the previous month’s survey, leaving it just one point above the lowest level of his presidency. The decline is linked to deteriorating American household finances, particularly after a spike in energy prices triggered by the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The poll indicates the Republican Party’s long-standing advantage on economic issues has steadily eroded and has now reversed in favour of the Democrats.
Trump has stated that the strikes on Iran were aimed at crippling Tehran’s nuclear programme. He expressed confidence that the operation would limit Iran’s military capabilities and open the door for political change in the country. However, petrol prices in the US have surged more than 25% since the conflict began, with the average American now paying over one dollar more per gallon than before.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll also shows Democrats leading in voter preference ahead of the US midterm congressional elections scheduled for November. 42% of respondents said they would vote for a Democratic candidate, compared to 37% for a Republican. Among independent voters, the Democratic lead stands at 12 percentage points. However, national polling does not always reflect the final election outcome, with competition expected to be fierce in only around three dozen of the 435 House seats and about eight Senate seats considered truly competitive.
Trump has again dismissed the polls showing declining public support. Ahead of the survey’s release, he wrote on Truth Social that his ‘real poll numbers, not the fake news media numbers, are the best ever.’ The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online across the United States and has a margin of error of two percentage points.