President Donald Trump's approval rating remained near the lowest level of his political career, with widespread concerns over rising prices continuing to weigh on his standing after a bruising midterm election defeat for his Republican Party, according to a poll. Just 32% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in the White House, unchanged from two previous polls.
The latest reading was only one percentage point above his career low of 31%, recorded in mid-October. The findings come days after Republicans suffered a sweeping defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, losing control of both chambers of the US Congress.
Democrats made major gains in traditionally Republican strongholds, including Kansas, South Carolina and Texas, while securing their biggest victory in the House of Representatives since at least 2008. The scale of the Democratic gains underscored the extent of voter frustration with Trump's handling of the economy and his decision to launch a war against Iran in February, which sent fuel prices sharply higher and added to pressure on household budgets.
Only 21% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, the poll found, making it one of the weakest areas of his performance. Just 25% approve of his broader economic stewardship, highlighting the political damage caused by persistent affordability concerns.
The economic backlash has extended beyond Trump's personal approval ratings, hurting Republican candidates who campaigned on his agenda. Democrats' gains have also set the stage for a difficult final two years of Trump's presidency, with the party preparing to use its control of Congress to challenge his policies and increase scrutiny of his administration.
It will be the first time during Trump's second term that he has to contend with Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate. Immigration remains a comparatively stronger issue for the president.
His approval rating on the policy stands at 38%, considerably above his ratings on the economy and cost of living. The divide is also apparent among Republicans themselves.
Some 81% of Republican respondents approve of Trump's immigration approach, compared with 50% who support his handling of the cost of living. Trump has sharply expanded deportations since returning to the White House in January 2025.
Last week, he promoted Stephen Miller, a key architect of his hardline immigration policies, to the position of White House chief of staff, signalling continuity in an area where the president retains considerable support among his party's voters. Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 with a 47% approval rating.
His subsequent decline has coincided with growing dissatisfaction over the cost of living and the war with Iran, two issues that have increasingly overshadowed his administration's domestic agenda. The latest poll had a margin of error of about two percentage points.