- The Washington Times - Tuesday, August 18, 2026

President Trump’s approval rating dropped to the lowest level of his office tenure as the war in Iran and the economy dragged his number down to 33%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday.

The poll found that 64% disapproved of Mr. Trump’s performance in the White House. The 33% approval represents a decrease of 2 percentage points from just two weeks ago when that rating hovered around 35%.

The rating is lower than at any point in his current term and is tied for the lowest of his first term, when he hit the number in December 2017.



Respondents said their view was shaped by Mr. Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, a conflict that has boosted the cost of and slowed a fifth of the global oil trade. Mr. Trump said when the war started in February that it would be resolved in a few weeks, but Iran has proved resilient.

The poll found 80% of Americans, including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Democrats, predicted the Iran conflict would extend for a long time. Only 16% said the conflict would end in a few weeks.

Voters also preferred Democrats over Republicans when it comes to the economy, the first time Democrats topped the GOP in the poll in about a decade. The survey showed that 38% of voters think Democrats will handle the economy better versus 35% who said Republicans are better suited for the job.

Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda still remains popular with voters. Some 40% of respondents said Republicans have a better approach on immigration compared with 38% who said Democrats.

However, the poll revealed that Republicans are losing ground on an issue they once dominated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

In January 2025, Republicans held a 26% lead on immigration, according to an earlier Reuters poll.

The Reuters/Ispos poll was conducted online with 1,166 respondents and a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Contact the author

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Story Topics

Please read our comment policy before commenting.