Trump approval falls to 33% in latest Financial Times poll

A Financial Times poll conducted by Focaldata found that only 33% of registered voters approve of Donald Trump’s performance as president, the lowest level recorded since the survey started in May. The figure represents a three-point decline from the previous month and comes less than two months before the November midterm elections.

The poll attributed the drop largely to pessimism about the economy and the cost of living, with nearly two-thirds of respondents saying the economy is heading in the wrong direction and 57% feeling financially worse off under Trump’s presidency. Among Republican voters, support for Trump’s handling of jobs and the economy fell to 53%, an eight-point decrease from the prior month.

Fuel prices have risen sharply, with diesel reaching a national average of $5.85 per gallon as the conflict with Iran continues to affect global fuel flows. Trump described the Iran situation as a limited military operation, saying, "I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing," and downplayed the importance of the Hormuz Strait, suggesting that new pipelines and shipping routes would lessen its role.

The poll’s results pose challenges for Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress. A separate Gallup survey indicated that 31% of U.S. adults identified as Democrats in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 25% who identified as Republicans, marking the widest Democratic lead in party identification in more than a decade.