US voters unhappy with Trump’s performance

Results from the latest US election survey, conducted ahead of the midterm congressional elections, indicate that Trump’s popularity has fallen to an all-time low and that voters are dissatisfied with his performance as president. According to a new Financial Times survey—which highlights the extent of voter dissatisfaction with the US President’s handling of the economy and the cost of living—Donald Trump’s popularity has fallen to its lowest level. With less than two months remaining until the November midterm elections, the latest national survey conducted by FocalData reveals that only 33 percent of registered voters approve of Trump’s performance as president. This is the lowest level recorded since the *Financial Times* began tracking this question in May, and represents a three-percentage-point drop compared to the previous month. The US President’s popularity among Republican voters also fell by more than two percentage points to 72 percent—another record low in the history of the Financial Times survey. This survey indicates that voter sentiment regarding the economy and the cost of living has been a primary factor behind Trump’s disappointing figures, and a majority of respondents reject the US President’s tariffs and trade policies. This survey has been published at a time when it appears that Trump is failing to end the war with Iran. This war has driven up borrowing costs and the prices of fuel and consumer goods in the United States over the past six months. This is happening at a time when the price of diesel in the US—a crucial fuel for industry and agriculture—has risen to $5.85 per gallon, raising the risk of a new wave of inflation. The results of this survey will present an unwelcome picture for the White House, as Republicans seek to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections. Although Trump’s name will not be on the ballot, the midterm elections are widely viewed as a referendum on the performance of the current US president. Approximately two-thirds of voters said the US economy is heading in the wrong direction, and 57 percent said their financial situation had worsened during Trump’s presidency—a four-percentage-point increase compared to the previous month, when 53 percent of voters reported a decline in their financial standing. Meanwhile, according to the latest quarterly data released by the Gallup polling institute, more voters identify as Democrats and avoid calling themselves Republicans. According to these figures, approximately 49 percent of the surveyed voters (including independent voters who were asked to choose between the two parties) leaned towards the Democrats, while only 39 percent of respondents leaned towards the Republicans. This 10-percentage-point gap marks a dramatic shift from the four-point lead Republicans held over Democrats in the fourth quarter of 2024, when voters sent Donald Trump back to the White House and Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress. According to a New York Times report, Democrats are seeing their largest lead since 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president. These figures provide the latest evidence indicating that a second Trump presidency has been unpopular among voters and has triggered a potential negative reaction.