Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level yet, according to a new survey by the Financial Times newspaper. The survey shows that voters have become disenchanted with the way the US president has been dealing with the economy and the cost of living.
Less than two months before the midterm elections in November, the most recent national poll conducted by Focaldata found that just 33% of registered voters approved of Trump's performance as president — the lowest percentage recorded since the FT began asking the question in May, and a three-point drop from the previous month.
The president's approval rating among Republican voters also fell by more than two points, to 72% — another negative record in the FT survey.
The survey indicated that voters' worsening perception of the economy and the cost of living is responsible for Trump's dismal numbers, with the majority of respondents rejecting the president's tariffs and trade policy.
The poll comes as the president appears unable to end the war in Iran, which has driven up U.S. credit costs and fuel and consumer goods prices over the past six months.
The FT survey was carried out online by London-based non-partisan research company Focaldata from August 28 to September 1. It reflects the opinions of 1,914 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
On Friday (4), the price of diesel in the US, an essential fuel for American industry and agriculture, reached an all-time high of US$5.85 per gallon, according to the automobile association AAA, threatening to trigger a new wave of inflation in the world's largest economy.
The poll's findings are likely to cause concern in the White House as Republicans try to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in the November elections. Although Trump is not on the ballot, these elections are widely seen as a referendum on the current president's leadership.
Nearly two-thirds of registered voters told pollsters that the economy was heading in the wrong direction, and 57% said they were worse off financially under Trump — an increase of four points from last month, when 53% of voters said they were worse off.
Among Republican voters, only 53% said they approved of the president's handling of employment and the economy, a drop of almost eight points compared to the previous month.
On trade, 56% of registered voters, including more than 60% of independents and nearly a third of Republicans, said they disapprove of Trump's latest decision to impose a 50% tariff on about $20 billion in Canadian goods. The move prompted Ottawa to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. imports, intensifying the trade war and raising concerns about higher prices for consumers.
Trump has placed himself at the center of the Republican campaign for the midterms. The Republican National Committee will hold this next week, in Dallas, Texas, an unprecedented two-day convention focused on the midterm elections, with the president as the main attraction, in an attempt to mobilize voter support.
But FT research suggests the strategy could have the opposite effect. Forty-six percent of voters, including more than half of independents, said Trump was making it difficult for Republican congressional candidates to win in November. Among independents, 47% said Trump's support would reduce the likelihood of voting for a candidate.
When asked about voting intentions, registered voters gave Democrats a 7.5-point lead over Republicans, up from a 5-point lead last month.
Republican candidates in contested districts told the FT this week that they were eager for Maga Inc, a group that supported Trump's presidential campaign, to use its $400 million election fund to help them. In a document presented on Saturday (5), Maga Inc reported that it was spending US$10 million on ads supporting the Republican candidate for Senate for Texas, Ken Paxton, against Democrat James Talarico.
"While President Trump has always been clear that there would be temporary disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury [in Iran], the administration remains committed to implementing a proven economic agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and energy abundance," a White House spokesperson said.
