Trump’s cost-of-living approval sinks to 17% as Americans blame his policies

A new poll reveals that President Donald Trump's approval rating for handling the cost of living has dropped to 17%, as Americans increasingly blame his policies for the persistently high prices. Just 26% of U.S. adults approve of his overall handling of the economy, marking a new low point. Sixty-five percent of Americans now attribute the rising costs to Trump's policies, rather than external factors, reflecting growing frustration with his aggressive use of tariffs and ongoing tensions with Iran.

This sentiment comes just weeks before midterm elections, during which Trump is actively campaigning with a rigorous schedule of rallies.

Despite being the Republican presidential candidate, Trump remains deeply unpopular, even among many Republican voters. Robert Gault, a 66-year-old retired factory worker and Republican from Pennsylvania, expressed disappointment, stating, "I was hoping it would be better or different, but it’s not really good." Even fellow Republicans fault Trump for failing to deliver on promises, saying, "Our president, I thought, was going to help the country, and so far he has not really seemed to have done that with the economy or in general."

The economic challenges have compounded, with half of U.S. adults expressing "extremely" or "very" concern over their ability to afford groceries and gas, up from 39% in July. Pedro Sanchez, a 52-year-old law enforcement worker from California, noted, "I used to have a lot more disposable income. I don’t have that any more. It’s gotten eaten up because of all these increases in the cost of everything."

Trump's current economic approval rating represents a 14 percentage point drop from March 2025, just after his re-election. This reflects a significant decline from his first term, when the economy was often a point of strength. While Trump campaigned heavily on lowering prices during the 2024 election, there is now widespread disappointment with his performance.

Roughly 70% of Americans believe Trump's handling of the cost of living has been "worse than expected," including a significant portion of Republicans who are also concerned about their ability to afford basic necessities.

The war with Iran is also a significant concern, with about 60% of Republicans disapproving of Trump's handling of it. Kristen Slaven, a mental health therapist in Mississippi who typically votes Republican, criticized Trump's focus on "stupid" issues like renaming geographical landmarks while families struggle to feed themselves.

Despite some Republicans showing willingness to cut Trump some slack, the majority of Americans, 69%, continue to say the war has not been worth fighting, up slightly from 64% in July. Only about 28% approve of how Trump is handling the Iran situation.

Overall, only about 30% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, and 60% perceive the country as "much" or "somewhat" worse off than when he began his second term. Trump's relative strength lies in border security, with half of Americans approving of his performance in this area.