Trump’s Approval Rating Drops to 37%, Lowest Since Return to Office

NYT and Siena College Poll
64% of Americans Say "Iran War Was a Mistake"

The approval rating for U.S. President Donald Trump has fallen to its lowest level since his return to office. Public opinion has soured as concerns about inflation have grown, with the Iran war lasting longer than expected.

According to a poll released on the 18th (local time) by the New York Times (NYT) in collaboration with Siena College, President Trump’s job approval rating came in at 37%. This is the lowest figure since his return to office, based on the NYT·Siena College survey. Meanwhile, 59% of respondents said they did not approve of his job performance.

U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House

Notably, public sentiment regarding the Iran war has worsened significantly. Among all respondents, 64% said the war with Iran was a “wrong decision.” Only 30% viewed it as the “right decision.” Additionally, 55% stated that “the war was not worth the cost.” Among independents, a politically moderate group, 73% said the war with Iran was a wrong choice, showing even stronger opposition.

There was also clear opposition to the Trump administration’s approach to military intervention. 63% of respondents said, “The president should not use military force without congressional approval.”

Evaluations of economic policy were even more unfavorable. The approval rating for economic policy stood at 33%, with 64% disapproving. Support for his handling of inflation was the lowest among major policies, at 28% approval and 69% disapproval.

Trump’s approval rating regarding the Iran war was 31% (65% disapproval), and for handling the Israel·Palestine conflict, it was 31% (62% disapproval). In contrast, support for immigration policy was relatively higher at 41% (56% disapproval).

Perceptions of the U.S. economic situation were also largely negative. 49% of respondents rated the current economic situation as “bad.” 27% said it was “so-so,” only 18% said “good,” and just 4% rated it as “excellent.” Furthermore, 44% of respondents said they had “personally suffered losses” due to President Trump’s policies.

There were also indications of the mood ahead of the midterm elections. When asked, “If the election were held today, which party’s candidate would you support?” 50% of respondents chose the Democratic candidate, while 39% chose the Republican candidate.

The New York Times reported that President Trump’s approval rating is being shaken by the combination of an “unpopular war” and economic concerns, noting that the Republican Party is facing increased political pressure ahead of the midterm elections.

This survey was conducted from May 11 to 15, 2026, targeting 1,507 registered U.S. voters, with a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.