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Trump Approval Rating Sinks to New Low as Iran War and Economy Drag Down Second Term

A major new poll shows 63% of Americans disapprove of Trump's performance, driven by deepening unhappiness over the economy and the escalating US-Iran conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Approval Rating Sinks to New Low as Iran War and Economy Drag Down Second Term

President Donald Trump’s second-term approval rating has hit its lowest point yet, with a sweeping new poll revealing that 63% of American adults now disapprove of his performance in office. Only 37% said they approve — a sobering number for a president whose party faces a critical midterm election cycle later this year.

The NBC News Decision Desk poll, released April 19, surveyed a massive national sample of 32,433 adults between March 30 and April 13, carrying a margin of error of just ±1.8 percentage points. The results paint a picture of an electorate increasingly frustrated on two fronts: the state of the economy and the United States’ deepening military engagement with Iran.

The Economy: Issue Number One

As in virtually every poll conducted over the past year, the economy ranked as the top issue for voters — 29% said it matters most, followed by 24% who cited threats to democracy.

The numbers on economic sentiment are brutal. Only 32% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living. A striking 68% disapprove, and a majority — 52% — said they “strongly disapprove.” That strong disapproval figure jumped 7 points since the last time NBC News asked the question in August 2025.

Affordability concerns have dogged the administration for months. Rising costs at the grocery store, at the pump, and in housing have eroded what was once a signature Trump talking point: economic competence. The poll suggests that message has worn thin.

The Iran War: A Deepening Quagmire

If the economy is a slow burn, the US-Iran conflict is an open wound.

Two-thirds of Americans — 67% — disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran war. More than half, 54%, said they “strongly disapprove,” compared to just 19% who strongly approve. The war, which began as a joint military operation, has spiraled into a wider Middle East confrontation that shows no sign of resolution.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has become the conflict’s most volatile flashpoint:

  • April 18: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed to shipping and fired on two vessels, one of the most provocative acts in the conflict so far.
  • April 19: The US military seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to breach its naval blockade near the strait — the first such interception since the blockade began.
  • April 22: Iran fired on three more ships in the strait, seizing two of them — just one day after Trump extended a ceasefire to allow Tehran time to present a “unified proposal.”
  • April 23: CNN reported that US military officials are developing contingency plans to target Iran’s Strait of Hormuz capabilities should the fragile ceasefire collapse entirely.

Each escalation has been met with a ceasefire extension from the White House, only for Iran to test the boundaries again. The cycle has left voters exhausted and skeptical.

Wrong Track Nation

Perhaps the most ominous number in the poll for the administration: 67% of respondents said the United States is on the wrong track, a 2-point increase from early February. Only 33% believe the country is headed in the right direction.

That’s a difficult environment for any incumbent party heading into midterms.

What It Means

The convergence of economic dissatisfaction and an increasingly unpopular war creates a toxic political environment for Republicans. Historical patterns suggest that midterm elections are already punishing for the president’s party; when the president’s approval sits in the high 30s, the damage tends to be severe.

Independent analyses like the New York Times’ polling average corroborate the trend, showing Trump’s aggregated approval at around 40% approval vs. 56% disapproval — numbers that, if they hold, could reshape the balance of power in Congress.

For the White House, the path forward is unclear. On the economy, inflation has proven stubbornly resistant to policy intervention. On Iran, every ceasefire extension seems to buy days of calm before the next provocation. And with each cycle, the patience of the American electorate wears thinner.

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