Trump Approval Slides Again as Midterm Worry Grows: Poll

President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell again this week, according to a new survey, extending a downward trend in support for the president as the Iran war continues and voters raise concerns about affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections. Political debate has focused on the administration’s conduct of foreign policy and the prices faced by households.

The Economist/YouGov poll, published on Monday, found 33% of respondents approved of how Trump has handled his job as president. Sixty-two per cent said they disapproved.

Partisan split remains stark

Approval was divided largely on party lines. Seventy-nine per cent of Republican respondents said they approved, while 4% of Democrats gave the same rating.

The result follows reporting by The Economist’s polling tracker in June that Trump had become the most unpopular president ever in its model, with a net approval rating of negative 25 percentage points. The tracker draws on data from YouGov surveys.

Earlier polls show weak support

YouGov’s latest numbers continue a broader slide. A Reuters/Ipsos survey published last week put approval at 35%. A Quinnipiac University poll released at the end of July showed approval slipping to 32%.

Together, the figures suggest Trump’s ratings remain below majority support in recent polling across multiple firms, with the gap between approval and disapproval widening in the new YouGov survey. The latest survey underlined the same pattern.

Midterm stakes for Republicans

Trump’s weakening job approval comes as Republicans try to lift backing for GOP candidates ahead of the midterms, with a goal of maintaining control of both chambers of Congress. The approval figures come as Republicans seek to defend their positions in the House and Senate.

GOP strategists have warned that dissatisfaction with the president’s performance could hurt the party in November. They point in particular to divisions among voters over his handling of the Iran conflict and affordability.

What voters say on specific issues

In addition to overall approval, the YouGov survey asked about Trump’s handling of individual issues. Around 40% of respondents supported his approach to immigration, while 30% said they had confidence in his ability to deal wisely with an international crisis.

On age, 53% of respondents said Trump was too old for the role. That view was shared by 85% of Democrats and 17% of Republicans.

The Economist/YouGov survey interviewed 1,589 people between 7 and 10 August. The margin of error was about 3.2 percentage points.

White House rejects the criticism

A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, defended Trump’s record in a statement shared with The Hill on Wednesday. Ingle said no other president in history had achieved more for hardworking Americans, and argued that Trump is creating jobs, bringing down inflation and improving housing affordability. He also said progress at home and abroad is already under way, describing the administration’s work as part of a longer agenda. Ingle said the president’s agenda is taking effect.

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13 August 2026