US President Donald Trump has seen his approval rating drop to a record low as Americans grow increasingly concerned about high gasoline prices and appear prepared to hold his Republican Party accountable in the upcoming November 3 congressional elections. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday shows only 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in office. This marks a one-point decline from two weeks earlier and the lowest level recorded during either of his presidential terms.
On the critical “generic ballot” question, which asks voters which party they would support if the congressional elections were held today, registered voters favoured Democrats by a clear 12-point margin. Some 47 percent said they would vote for Democratic candidates while 35 percent chose Republicans. This is the widest Democratic advantage seen in the current election cycle and strengthens hopes among Democrats of gaining control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
For Republicans, losing either chamber would create significant obstacles for Trump’s legislative agenda in the remaining two years of his term. Generic ballot polls offer a national snapshot of public sentiment but do not fully capture the district-level and state-level dynamics that ultimately decide control of Congress, where Republicans still hold certain structural advantages.
A similar poll conducted two weeks earlier had shown Democrats leading by only 7 points. Much of the recent shift came from female voters. Fifty percent of women said they would support Democratic candidates compared to just 32 percent who preferred Republicans. Men also leaned Democratic, though by a narrower margin.
Trump’s standing has declined notably since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February together with Israel. The resulting conflict contributed to a sharp rise in gasoline prices that has pressured household budgets. Sixty-eight percent of Americans now disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, including 37 percent of self-identified Republicans. Voters also rated Democrats as better stewards of the economy by a margin of 40 percent to 33 percent.
The online survey collected responses from 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters. It carries a margin of error of 2 percentage points for the full sample and 3 percentage points among registered voters. The findings highlight growing public frustration that could shape the outcome of the midterm elections.
