Shibbir Ahmed, Washington DC — President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains at a record low in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, with 32% of Americans approving of his job performance and 65% disapproving as the country approaches the November midterm elections. The nationwide poll, conducted online from Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 among 4,506 U.S. adults, found Trump’s overall approval unchanged from the previous survey. The result matches the lowest approval rating recorded for Trump in the Reuters/Ipsos polling series. The poll has a margin of error of approximately two percentage points.
The findings come as voters continue to identify the cost of living and inflation as major concerns, while the administration faces political pressure over the economic effects of high energy prices and the ongoing war with Iran.
The poll found particularly low approval among Hispanic Americans. Only 24% of Hispanic respondents said they approved of Trump’s performance, the lowest level recorded for him among Hispanic voters in either of his presidential terms, according to Reuters.
The decline is notable because Hispanic voters were an important part of Trump’s coalition in the 2024 presidential election. Reuters reported that Trump received nearly half of the Hispanic vote in 2024, compared with roughly one-third in 2020. The latest findings indicate that Trump’s standing among this group has weakened considerably during his current term.
Economic issues are playing a central role in voters’ views of the administration. The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that the cost of living was the leading issue for Americans as they considered the upcoming congressional elections. Rising gasoline and diesel prices have added to concerns about household expenses.
The administration has taken several steps aimed at addressing fuel prices. On Oct. 5, Trump signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel fuel as prices remained elevated. Reuters reported that diesel prices had reached approximately $6.50 a gallon in September. The administration has linked the energy-price pressures to disruptions caused by the war with Iran and other international supply pressures.
The Ipsos survey also measured voters’ preferences for the November 3 congressional elections. Among registered voters, 44% said they planned to support Democratic candidates, compared with 37% who said they planned to support Republican candidates. Among independent voters, Democrats held a 37%-21% advantage in the survey, while 28% of independent voters remained undecided.
Among Hispanic registered voters, 52% said they planned to support Democratic candidates, compared with 26% who said they planned to support Republicans. These figures describe the preferences of respondents at the time of the survey and do not determine the eventual election results.
Trump continues to retain substantial support within his own party, although previous Reuters/Ipsos polling has shown a decline in Republican approval.
An earlier September Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 73% of Republicans approved of Trump’s overall job performance, down from 86% in January. Republican ratings of Trump’s handling of the U.S. economy and the cost of living also declined in that survey.
The latest poll comes as Republican candidates campaign across the country ahead of the midterm elections, with economic conditions and the administration’s foreign-policy decisions becoming central campaign issues.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos findings also showed changes among older voters, a group that has historically been important in midterm elections.
Republicans held only a narrow advantage among voters aged 50 and older in the latest survey, according to Reuters. Among voters younger than 50, Democrats had a larger lead. Independent voters remained an important group because a substantial share had not decided which party they would support.
The latest polling comes amid controversy over government-funded television advertisements featuring Trump. A separate Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted during the same period found that 86% of Americans considered the use of taxpayer money for election-related television advertisements featuring the president or members of his administration inappropriate. The figure included 80% of Republicans.
The administration has said the advertisements are educational and patriotic rather than campaign material. Critics, including lawmakers from both parties, have questioned whether taxpayer funds are being used for political purposes.
With the Nov. 3 congressional elections approaching, the poll provides a snapshot of public opinion at a particularly active stage of the campaign. Trump is not personally on the ballot, but his approval rating and the administration’s policies have become important factors in the national political environment.
Republicans currently control the White House and both chambers of Congress, making the midterm elections significant for the legislative agenda during the remaining years of Trump’s current term.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that Americans remain focused heavily on economic pressures, particularly the cost of living, while Trump’s overall approval remains at the lowest level recorded in the Ipsos series.
The survey represents public opinion during the six-day period in which it was conducted; attitudes can change as economic conditions, international events and the election campaign develop.
