Trump's Economic Ratings Hit Lows in Fox Poll Amid Gas Price Surge

Gas prices have climbed above $4 a gallon. Household budgets are tightening. And a Fox News poll conducted in April 2026 shows President Trump's approval on the economy at 34 percent approve and 66 percent disapprove, according to reports from multiple outlets citing the survey. The same poll indicates Democrats now hold a narrow edge over Republicans on which party would better manage the economy, 52 percent to 48 percent, a shift not seen in Fox polling in more than a decade.

The central tension is whether this discontent, triggered by the U.S.-Israel military strikes on Iran that began in late February and disrupted roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies, represents a temporary shock or a deeper erosion of support that could cost Republicans their narrow majorities in Congress this November. The conflict has driven the national average gasoline price from $2.98 before the strikes to $4.03, per AAA data. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll of 3,577 adults, including 3,577 registered voters, found 77 percent of respondents attributing at least some responsibility for the increase to Trump, with the sentiment crossing party lines at 55 percent among Republicans. That survey, conducted April 15-20 with a 2-point margin of error, also showed 58 percent of voters less likely to back candidates supporting Trump's Iran approach.

Trump campaigned in 2024 on lowering energy costs by expanding domestic production. His administration has described the current spike as short-term. On April 24 he told reporters Americans should expect higher prices "for a little while" without offering a specific timeline. White House statements earlier called the disruption temporary.

The Fox poll, detailed in the network's own reporting, captured broad economic gloom with 70 percent of respondents viewing the economy negatively and 73 percent expressing negative views on its direction. It also recorded record-low approval for congressional Democrats at 70 percent disapproval. Republican voters, by contrast, showed relative optimism within their party despite the overall numbers. The survey found Trump maintaining stronger ratings on immigration and border security.

Additional polling complicates the picture. A survey commissioned by the center-left group Third Way and Latino advocacy organization UnidosUS, released in March, reported Trump's favorability at 34 percent favorable and 66 percent unfavorable among Latino voters, compared with 44-55 overall. Latino disapproval on immigration stood at 67 percent in that poll. These figures were not corroborated by Fox or Reuters/Ipsos and come from organizations with clear policy agendas. Trump's share of the Latino vote rose from 32 percent in 2020 to approximately 42-46 percent in 2024 according to Pew and AP analyses.

Reports from CNN and Politico, cited across outlets, describe Trump advisers searching for a midterm message that frames the election as a choice between parties rather than a referendum on the president. One anonymous Republican senator told Politico that Trump "is in a bad mood" and has begun dismissing senior officials. The quote could not be independently verified beyond those reports. GOP strategists quoted in the Reuters/Ipsos coverage, including Sarah Chamberlain of the Republican Main Street Partnership and Erin Maguire, acknowledged voter frustration but expressed hope that resolution in Iran by summer could ease prices and improve prospects.

No modern president has carried net economic approval this negative into a midterm according to historical comparisons cited by analysts, though exact net figures of minus-32 for Trump were not listed in Fox's published crosstabs and appear drawn from secondary interpretations. Biden hit minus-25 in 2022; Bush reached similar lows in 2006. Independents drove much of the shift, moving from net positive in January 2025 to sharply negative.

The Iran conflict began with targeted strikes on nuclear facilities, missile sites and leadership targets following stalled diplomacy, according to briefings from U.S., Israeli and British officials. Tehran retaliated by attacking regional oil infrastructure. Coverage varied on whether these details received sufficient attention. The full Fox poll also showed voters rating personal finances negatively by a 60-40 margin and expressing skepticism that the White House is doing more good than harm on economic policy.

Republicans hold advantages on immigration by double digits in the Fox data. Democrats have not consolidated broad enthusiasm; their own generic ballot standing remains soft outside the economic question. History suggests the out-of-power party gains in midterms, but the scale depends on whether prices moderate and whether low-propensity voters from 2024 return. With five months until Election Day, the numbers reflect a difficult environment. They do not yet dictate the outcome.