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Trump's approval rating falls to 33%, lowest since inauguration — poll
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating at 33%, matching the lowest level of his presidency, while public support for the war with Iran has fallen to 31%. The decline is driven by waning Republican backing, rising gas prices, and fears of a prolonged conflict.
President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33%, its lowest level since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, according to a poll conducted jointly by Reuters and international polling firm Ipsos. The survey, conducted from August 14 to 17 among 1,166 U.S. adults, found that 33% of respondents approve of Trump's performance as president, while 64% disapprove.
The 33% figure marks the second consecutive Reuters/Ipsos survey at that level, matching the lowest approval rating recorded in the polling series across Trump's first and second terms. According to the poll, Trump's approval had previously not fallen below 34% during his second term, reaching that level in June and April of this year. His highest second-term approval was recorded in January 2025, when 47% of respondents viewed his performance positively. During his first term, his approval rating fell to 33% in December 2017.
Support for Iran war declines
The poll also found that public support for the war with Iran has dropped to its lowest level since the early stages of the conflict. Just 31% of Americans surveyed said they support U.S. military action against Iran, down from 37% in March and 34% earlier this month. The decline was driven by fewer self-identified Republicans backing the conflict: 69% of Republican respondents support the war, compared with 77% in March.
The conflict began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. Trump has defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. However, the war has been dragging on Trump's public standing this year, according to the poll.
Economic concerns weigh on public
Economic effects of the war remain a concern for Americans. Iran has maintained a de facto blockade of oil exports from the region, which has pushed U.S. gasoline prices near record highs. Six months into the conflict, U.S. gasoline prices are more than a dollar higher per gallon than they were before the war.
Trump has vowed to ramp up economic pressure on Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced a possible expansion of sanctions on countries doing business with Iran, but stopped short of actually imposing penalties. According to Al Jazeera, Bessent said the U.S. would target all of Iran's sources of revenue, including oil, with the aim of preventing other countries and companies from doing business with Tehran, in a campaign dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast."
Fears of a long war
Some 83% of Americans think the war will go on "for an extended period of time," the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found, up from 80% earlier this month. TASS reported that 80% of those surveyed believe the U.S.-Iran conflict will be prolonged, while 16% expect it to end within several weeks.
Trump campaigned ahead of the 2024 presidential election on promises to control inflation and avoid lengthy military conflicts. The rising gas prices and fears of a long war are weighing on Trump's Republican allies, who will be defending narrow majorities in the House and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. The poll found that independent voters favored Democrats over Republicans, 33% to 19%, when asked who they would vote for in congressional elections if the election were held today.
Perspectives
Trump administration: The war with Iran is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and the administration is increasing economic pressure on Iran through sanctions targeting all revenue sources, including oil.
Public opinion: Americans are increasingly wary of the conflict, with support for the war falling to its lowest level since early days, driven by concerns over rising gas prices and the prospect of a prolonged war.
How each outlet told it
Al Jazeera
Framing: Pairs falling US support for Iran war with Trump approval at record low; war support leads the headline — Measured-analytical: 'the war is also continuing to weigh on Trump’s standing with the public, the poll suggests'
Facts Included:
31% of Americans support US military action against Iran, down from 37% in March and 34% earlier this month
Republican support fell to 69% from 77% in March
Trump approval at 33% for second consecutive Reuters/Ipsos survey, matching lowest in series across both terms
Conflict began February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran
Trump defends campaign as necessary to prevent Iran nuclear weapon
Iran de facto blockade of regional oil exports; US petrol near record highs
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced targeting all Iran revenue sources; campaign dubbed Operation Economic Outcast
83% expect conflict to last extended period, up from 80%
Petrol more than $1 per gallon higher than pre-war; six months into conflict
Independents: 33% would vote Democrat vs 19% Republican in congressional election today
Poll: 1,215 adults, margin of error 3 percentage points
Framing: Same dual angle as other Al Jazeera item: war support falls as Trump approval at record low — Measured with explanatory dek: 'Falling Republican support, rising gas prices, and fears of a long conflict drive a decline'
Facts Included:
31% support US military action vs Iran; down from 37% March and 34% earlier this month
Republican support 69% vs 77% March
Trump approval 33% second consecutive survey; lowest in series both terms
Conflict began February 28 US and Israeli attacks; Trump nuclear-prevention defense
Iran de facto oil blockade; US petrol near record highs
Bessent: target all Iran revenue including oil; Operation Economic Outcast
83% expect extended conflict, up from 80%
Petrol >$1/gallon higher pre-war; pressure ahead of November midterms
Independents 33% Democrat vs 19% Republican for Congress today
Framing: Trump approval holds at record low as US support for Iran war falls; dual emphasis on approval floor and war-support drop — Measured Reuters wire: 'helping to hold President Donald Trump's popularity at a record low'
Facts Included:
US public approval of war with Iran at lowest since early days; 31% support, down from 37% March and 34% earlier this month
Republican support 69% vs 77% in March
Trump approval 33% second survey in a row; lowest in Reuters/Ipsos first or second term
War started with US-Israeli attacks February 28; Trump says necessary to keep Tehran from nuclear weapon
Conflict cooled recently; Iran de facto oil-export blockade; US gasoline near record highs
Bessent announced possible expansion of sanctions but stopped short of imposing penalties
83% think war will go on for extended period, up from 80%
Gasoline more than a dollar per gallon higher than pre-war; six months in
Independents favor Democrats 33% to 19% for Congress if election held today
1,215 US adults; MoE 3 points; poll closed Monday; byline Jason Lange
Framing: Trump’s approval rating paired with his calling out fake polls; emphasizes his pushback over poll substance alone — Contextual-political: 'The president’s approval rating has critical implications for the midterms'
Facts Included:
Trump called out fake polls on Monday via Truth Social; accused Radical Left Democrats of demoralization operations; claimed actual polls tremendous
Framing: Centers solely on Trump approval falling to 33%, lowest since inauguration; omits war-support angle from headline — Sparse wire style: 'its lowest level since his inauguration on January 20, 2025'
Facts Included:
Trump approval 33%, lowest since inauguration January 20, 2025
33% approve, 64% disapprove; remainder did not answer
80% believe US-Iran conflict will be prolonged; 16% expect end within several weeks
Prior second-term floor had not fallen below 34% (June and April); January 2025 high was 47%
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
Claim31% of Americans surveyed support US military action against Iran, down from 37% in March and 34% earlier this month.
ClaimThe 33% approval rating matches the lowest approval rating recorded in the Reuters/Ipsos polling series across Donald Trump's first and second terms.
ClaimTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the US would target all of Iran's sources of revenue, including oil, with the aim of preventing other countries and companies from doing business with Tehran.
ClaimAmong independent voters, 33% said they would vote for a Democrat in a congressional election held today, while 19% said they would choose a Republican.
ClaimTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced a possible expansion of sanctions on countries doing business with Iran, but stopped short of actually imposing penalties.
ClaimPresident Donald Trump called out 'fake polls' on Monday in a Truth Social post, accusing the 'Radical Left Democrats' of 'going CRAZY with Fake Polls' and of running 'Demoralization Operations' to discourage Republicans from voting.
ClaimIn the same Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the 'actual' polls have been 'tremendous' for his administration and that the 'Spirit in our Country has never been higher.'
ClaimFor the Senate, Republicans had a 53% chance on Kalshi, while Polymarket traders gave both Democrats and Republicans a 50% chance of winning a majority.
ClaimCiviqs tracks Trump's approval by state, showing his rating has shifted in every state and he is underwater in some states he easily won in the 2024 election.
ClaimPresident Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33%, its lowest level since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
ClaimThirty-three percent of respondents approve of Trump's performance as president, while 64% disapprove, and the remaining respondents did not answer.
ClaimAccording to polls regularly conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, Trump's approval rating had previously not fallen below 34% during his second term; it reached that level in June and April of this year.