Donald Trump's approval ratings have been in a downward spiral, hitting record lows in recent months. This trend is particularly striking given that no president's approval rating has fallen below 38% for more than a few days in the past 17 years. Trump's overall approval rating is currently hovering around 37%, with a disapproval rating of 59% according to the Times/Siena poll. This coincides with a majority disapproval rating on five key issues: immigration, the economy, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the war in Iran, and the cost of living. The economy, in particular, is a major concern, with nearly half of respondents rating it as 'poor' and only 28% saying Trump has handled the cost of living well. This is a significant drop from January, when 49% rated the economy as 'poor' and 37% approved of Trump's handling of the cost of living. Trump's net approval rating has also dipped to -18.9, a record low for his second term, in Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin polling average. This negative sentiment is not limited to Democrats; Trump is losing support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 68% approving of his job performance, down from 73% in January. The war with Iran is a major factor in this decline, with 66% of respondents saying Trump hasn't clearly explained his goals for the war. Three-quarters of respondents, including half of Republicans, also blame the administration for high gas prices, which have increased by 50% since the start of the conflict. Trump's approval rating among Hispanic voters has also swung dramatically, with 70% disapproving and 29% approving now, compared to 44% disapproval and 41% approval at this time last year. This negative sentiment is reflected in the latest Emerson College survey, which shows Trump's approval rating dropping to 40%, with a disapproval rating of 56%. The survey also highlights the failure to appease voters' economic concerns, with a 56% disapproval rating on the economy, up from 51% in May 2022. Trump's sagging approval rating comes as Democrats have a chance at outperforming Republicans in midterms, with an Emerson poll showing Democrats with a 10-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot. This trend is further supported by the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, which found significant disapproval rates for key issues leading up to the midterm elections. The poll also shows Democrats maintaining their strongest advantage in the pollsters' surveys so far for retaking the House, with 49% of respondents saying they would vote for Democratic candidates versus 44% who said they would vote for Republicans. Trump's approval rating has been consistently low throughout his second term, with an average disapproval rating of 58% on April 22, according to The New York Times. Voters' economic concerns have remained high throughout Trump's second term, and the Iran war has coincided with an increase in negative views of the economy as gas prices have skyrocketed since the start of the conflict. This negative sentiment is further reflected in the NBC News poll, which found a 63% majority disapproving of Trump's job performance, with 54% strongly disapproving of his handling of the war in Iran. The poll also found a majority disapproving of the way Trump was handling economic issues like inflation and cost of living, with 52% strongly disapproving, up from 44% strong disapproval when this poll was taken in April last year. Trump's approval rating is similar to former President Joe Biden's at this point in his term, with Biden having a 41% approval rating in May 2022, according to Gallup. Trump's approval rating in the second week of May 2018, during his first term, was 43%, according to Gallup. Trump began his second term with a 52% approval rating and 43% disapproval rating, according to The New York Times' polling average. This trend of declining approval ratings is a significant challenge for Trump, and it remains to be seen whether he can recover his support among the American public.
