Trump Faces Approval Slump Amid Ongoing Iran Conflict

Fri Mar 27 2026 11:50:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

As the Iran war unfolds, President Trump's approval ratings plummet due to rising economic concerns and public dissatisfaction, posing challenges for his administration ahead of crucial elections.

President Donald Trump's popularity has been diminishing steadily since he resumed office in January, driven by economic discontent linked to rising prices exacerbated by the ongoing Iran war. With gas prices averaging $4 per gallon and the president's economic approval rating falling to an unprecedented low, both Republicans and Democrats express concerns ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Data from various polls highlight a shift among independent voters and a potential threat to Trump's political base.

President Donald Trump's popularity has been eroding steadily since he returned to the White House last January.

While some of this is typical for second-term American presidents, Trump's initial decline also reflects ongoing public dissatisfaction with high prices and cost-of-living – issues that have propelled Democrats to wins in a growing number of elections over the past year.

According to data by election analysis website The Downballot, Democrats did an average of 13% better in contested special elections in 2025 than they did in the same districts during the 2024 presidential election.

The war in Iran has only exacerbated these economic concerns.

Polling company Ipsos found that 43% of the American public approved of Trump's handling of the economy at the start of his second term. By 23 June 2025, the number had dropped to 35%, a level it hovered around for the rest of the year.

Three weeks into the Iran war, gas prices have surged to an average near $4 a gallon.

Trump's economic approval rating, meanwhile, has fallen to 29%, a lower score than any mark for Joe Biden during his four years in the White House, when Americans faced a post-COVID pandemic inflation spike.

Economic anxiety contributed to Democratic defeat in 2024 and Republicans controlling the presidency and both chambers of Congress for the past year. Now it appears to be creating a drag on Trump's net approval.

At the start of his second term, Trump enjoyed 52% approval. However, by 28 February, at the start of the Iran war, only 42% of Americans had a positive view of the president. This week, that mark had sagged to 40%, a concerning sign for an incumbent president just seven months from midterm elections.

The stakes in these upcoming elections were discussed during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Dallas, Texas, with many expressing urgency about retaining Republican control. We cannot let the left win this election cycle and take away this agenda that we are fighting for every single day, said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina Senate candidate.

Polls show a majority of Republicans support military action in Iran, although those numbers drop amongst all registered voters. This sentiment poses a conundrum for Trump as he tries to balance his support base with growing economic anxiety from independents, potentially threatening his party's prospects in the forthcoming elections.