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

A devastating new Fox News poll has exposed the scale of President Trump's collapsing support on the economy the very issue that helped carry him to victory in 2024. The survey shows just 34 percent of registered voters approve of his handling of the economy while 66 percent disapprove. On inflation the numbers are even more dire 28 percent approval against 72 percent disapproval. For the first time in sixteen years a Fox poll found Democrats leading Republicans on the economy 52 percent to 48 percent. Data analysts described the results as the worst on record for any modern president exceeding even the lows hit by Joe Biden in 2022 and George W. Bush in 2006.

The poll's findings come as Americans grapple with the direct consequences of decisions made in Washington. A separate Reuters/Ipsos survey found 77 percent of registered voters hold Trump at least partly responsible for the surge in gasoline prices that has followed the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Those attacks which began in February killed Iran's leadership and thousands of civilians prompting retaliation that disrupted roughly one fifth of the global oil trade. Pump prices have climbed to around four dollars a gallon up a full dollar since the conflict started. The pain is broadly felt. Fifty five percent of Republicans 82 percent of independents and 95 percent of Democrats assign blame to the president. Fifty eight percent of voters including one in five Republicans said they are less likely to back candidates who support Trump's approach to the Iran war.

Independent voters have turned particularly hard against the administration. The Fox poll showed them giving Trump a net negative 55 point rating on the economy a stunning reversal from the slight positive rating he held with them as recently as January 2025. That shift threatens Republican majorities in Congress because independents often decide midterm outcomes. Republican strategists quoted in reporting on the mood inside the White House describe Trump as being in a foul temper. One GOP senator told Politico the president is purging senior officials in large numbers because he is unhappy with the results. Advisers are now scrambling to develop a new strategy for the November midterms as fears grow that the House majority could vanish and the Senate could fall into Democratic hands.

The erosion of support is especially pronounced among Latino voters who played a key role in Trump's 2024 success. A March poll conducted for Third Way and UnidosUS found Trump's overall favorability at 44 percent favorable to 55 percent unfavorable. Among Latinos that gap widens dramatically to 34 percent favorable and 66 percent unfavorable. On immigration only 32 percent of Latino voters view his performance positively against 67 percent negative. On the economy the split is 33 percent positive to 66 percent negative. Congressional ballot tests show Democrats leading Republicans by 30 points among Latinos 61 percent to 31 percent. Even Latino men who broke heavily for Trump last time now favor Democrats by 22 points in generic congressional matchups. Immigration enforcement and rising costs appear to be driving the reversal.

These numbers paint a picture of campaign promises colliding with governing reality. Trump campaigned on restoring American strength abroad and economic security at home. Instead the Iran conflict has produced higher energy costs that hammer working families truck drivers farmers and manufacturers. Every extra dollar at the pump pulls money out of household budgets and ripples through the entire economy. When voters are asked who they trust more on the economy they are now choosing Democrats over Republicans by four points in a Fox poll a milestone that signals deep discontent.

G. Elliott Morris who analyzes polling data for his Strength in Numbers Substack has long argued that Trump's underlying numbers have been weaker than much of the public commentary suggested. The latest surveys appear to confirm that view. Trump's approval on the economy sits at levels that no president has sustained without major political consequences. The fact that these findings come from Fox News a network long sympathetic to the president only adds to their weight inside Trump world.

Republican lawmakers are feeling the pressure. One strategist with ties to conservative members of Congress described the current environment as simply bad with voters upset about costs. The combination of sky high gas prices a war that shows little sign of ending and economic discontent has created a toxic mix for the party heading into November. Trump's reported frustration and staff turnover suggest the White House recognizes the danger yet the path to reversing these trends remains unclear.

Voters appear to be rendering a straightforward judgment. They liked the idea of toughness and prosperity. They are less enthusiastic about the results when gas hits four dollars a gallon and grocery bills keep climbing. The polls indicate that frustration is now translating into tangible political vulnerability for the president and his party. Whether the administration can recalibrate before voters deliver their verdict in the midterms will shape the next two years of American politics. For millions of families feeling the pinch at the pump and the checkout line the abstract arguments in Washington matter far less than the balance in their bank accounts. Those balances are getting tighter and the polling suggests Americans are noticing exactly who they hold responsible.