FT survey, 'Trump still down and at 34% approval, economy weighs'

Donald Trump is unable to halt the decline in his popularity just weeks before the mid-term elections in the United States.

According to a Financial Times poll carried out with Focaldata, the president's overall approval rating remains at 34%, while just a quarter of voters approve of his management of the economy and employment and only about a fifth of inflation. More than two-thirds of those surveyed believe the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction. 45% of voters also say Trump is making it harder for Republican candidates to win in the November elections. Democrats enjoy a more than five percentage point advantage in voting intentions. According to the Cook Political Report, the party could win between 9 and 19 additional seats in the House of Representatives.

Trump's popularity is also declining among his supporters: less than 70% of those who voted for him in 2024 approve of his actions today, compared to 80% in May. However, 80% still intend to vote for the Republican candidate in their constituency. The poll also records growing dissatisfaction with the handling of the conflict with Iran, which less than a quarter of voters approved, a drop of more than seven percentage points since May. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed would like Washington to reach an agreement as soon as possible, rather than continuing the war to obtain more favorable terms. The survey was conducted online between October 2 and 4 among 2,275 registered voters, with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.