The nationwide poll by Ipsos for Reuters put Trump’s overall job approval at 38%, the weakest reading of his second term. He began the term with 47% support.
Dissatisfaction with the cost of living is a key driver of the slump. Only 26% of Americans said Trump is doing a good job delivering on his central promise to lower living costs, while 65% gave him a negative assessment. That group included about one-third of Republican voters.
Support for Trump within the ruling Republican Party also slipped, with his approval among Republican supporters dropping to 82% from 87%.
The survey comes after U.S. authorities released documents in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Reuters, 70% of respondents said they believe authorities are hiding a “client list” of the billionaire pedophile and sex trafficker.
No such document has appeared in the material released so far.
The 38% overall approval score is Trump’s lowest in Ipsos polling during his second term, though his ratings fell as low as 33% in his first term after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. By comparison, his predecessor Joe Biden hit a low of 35% support at the worst point of his presidency, after losing the 2024 election.
Reacting to weakening poll numbers and Republican setbacks in November elections, Trump has insisted he significantly reduced prices but that Republicans failed to communicate this to voters.
Official data, however, show the pace of price growth has been rising steadily since the spring, with annual inflation reaching 3% in September.
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Source: PAP