Trump approval rating falls to 33%, lowest of his presidency

A Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on August 17, 2026, reveals U.S. President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33%, tying his all-time low from December 2017. The decline follows joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which triggered a gasoline price surge by paralyzing a fifth of the global oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz. While Trump promised a short conflict, 80% of Americans now expect a prolonged war, threatening Republican congressional majorities in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Trump approval rating decline

• ▪A Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on August 17, 2026, found that U.S. President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 33%, the lowest level of his current term.
• ▪The Reuters/Ipsos poll showing a 33% approval rating was conducted online, gathering responses from 1,166 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump's 33% approval rating in August 2026 tied the lowest level of his prior presidential term, which was reached in December 2017.
• ▪The Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on August 17, 2026, showed that 64% of respondents disapproved of U.S. President Donald Trump's performance in the White House.

U.S.-Iran conflict

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump ordered military strikes on Iran alongside U.S. ally Israel, which initiated a conflict that impacted his popularity.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump initially pledged that the conflict with Iran would last only a few weeks, arguing it was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Strait of Hormuz disruption

• ▪The conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran paralyzed a fifth of the global oil trade.
• ▪Iran has kept the oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz largely bottled up despite a cooling of the active conflict.

Gasoline price surge

• ▪The conflict with Iran triggered a surge in gasoline prices that is weighing on U.S. households.
• ▪The rise in gasoline prices contradicts U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign promises to keep inflation in check and avoid long-lasting wars.
• ▪The economic impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict is weighing on U.S. President Donald Trump's Republican allies defending congressional majorities in the November midterm elections.

Public expectations on war

• ▪A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 80% of Americans, including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans, believe U.S. involvement in Iran will continue for an extended period.
• ▪Only 16% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll believed that the U.S. conflict with Iran would likely end within a few weeks.

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