President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has sunk to 33%, marking a new low for the Republican as voters worry the U.S. war with Iran may last even longer.
The latest Reuters-Ipsos poll, released on Monday, shows Trump fell 2 points lower than the pollster’s prior survey earlier this month. He now has a 31-point difference between his approval and disapproval ratings, compared to the last poll’s 28-point gap.
The president’s new approval rating matches the lowest level that Reuters-Ipsos recorded for his first term in December 2017. His lowest-ever approval rating from any pollster was 29% at the end of his first term in January 2021 following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The prolonged Iran war is a primary factor in Trump’s historic drop. About 80% of Americans say the war will likely continue for an “extended period of time,” according to the poll. Only 16% of respondents say the conflict may end in a few weeks.
Trump initially promised the war would last a couple of weeks, but it’s been nearly six months since the opening airstrikes against Iran. Now, there is no end in sight to the conflict as negotiations between the United States and Iran remain stalled.
On Monday, Trump threatened to “bomb the s*** out of” Oman if the Gulf country “gets in the way” in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. and Oman have been negotiating separately with Iran to reopen the strategic waterway.
The extended fighting is expected to be a sore spot for Trump and Republicans as the midterm elections approach. The House GOP’s narrow majority is at risk this election cycle.
Voters continue to deal with the financial repercussions of the war, namely high inflation rates and gasoline prices. Affordability is a key issue that both Republicans and Democrats are hammering home in their political campaigns.
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THEY’RE WORSE OFF FINANCIALLY SINCE TRUMP TOOK OFFICE AGAIN: POLL
The latest poll shows 38% of voters believe Democrats will handle the economy better, while 35% prefer Republicans. This marks the first time in roughly a decade that Democrats outperformed Republicans on the economy.
The poll surveyed 1,666 U.S. adults nationwide between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.