Trump approval at 33 percent, lowest of term, as Iran conflict drags

Cover image from rawstory.com, which was analyzed for this article
A new poll shows President Trump's approval rating falling to the lowest point of his current term amid the Iran conflict and domestic political fights.
PoliticalOS
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 — Politics
Two separate polls place Trump's approval at 33 percent, the lowest of his current term, with public skepticism about the length and value of the Iran conflict appearing as the clearest measured factor. Immigration remains a relative Republican strength even as that advantage has narrowed sharply. Any prediction of final historical standing rests on future surveys that have not yet occurred.
What outlets missed
The Reuters/Ipsos poll documented a narrowing but still positive Republican lead on immigration policy alongside the documented drop in border crossings, a data point the Independent article mentioned only briefly. The Raw Story piece relied on a single interview segment and omitted any reference to the Iran conflict or gasoline price effects that both polls and public statements tied to the approval decline. Neither outlet compared the 33 percent result across the two distinct polling organizations or noted that historian rankings remain provisional until after a presidency ends.
Gasoline prices have risen after U.S. strikes on Iran disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump's approval rating has reached 33 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday. That figure matches the lowest point recorded in his first term and sits below the level measured when he took office again. Sixty-four percent of respondents disapproved.
The same poll found 80 percent of Americans expect U.S. involvement in Iran to continue for an extended period, including 71 percent of Republicans. Only 16 percent said the conflict would likely end within weeks. One in five Americans overall, and half of Republicans, said they viewed the military action as worth the cost.
Trump told supporters at a rally in Garden City, New York, that a small increase in gasoline prices was acceptable to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The Reuters/Ipsos survey also showed Democrats now hold a narrow edge over Republicans on handling the economy, 38 percent to 35 percent, the first such lead in roughly a decade. On immigration, Republicans retained a 2-point advantage, down from 26 points in January 2025, even as border crossings have fallen sharply.
A separate Economist/YouGov poll released around the same time also recorded Trump's approval at 33 percent. University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato told former CNN anchor Jim Acosta that historians would eventually rank Trump last among all presidents, a forecast based on post-presidency surveys that have not yet been conducted for the current term.
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