President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level of his second term, with a growing majority of Americans expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s direction ahead of November’s midterm elections, according to a new poll.
The NBC News survey, released at the weekend, found that 71 per cent of US adults believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, the highest level recorded during Trump’s second term.
Trump’s approval rating stood at 34 per cent, while 66 per cent disapproved of his performance. Those who strongly disapproved of the president accounted for 51 per cent of respondents, also a second-term high.
The findings come as Republicans face mounting political challenges ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with dissatisfaction over the economy, rising living costs and the war with Iran weighing on public opinion.
The economy emerged as the most important issue for 31 per cent of respondents, while 44 per cent said their financial situation had deteriorated over the past year.
Rising household expenses were also a major concern, with 67 per cent describing gasoline prices as a serious problem. Many respondents said they had changed their grocery purchases or cut spending to cope with the cost of essential goods.
The poll also pointed to a potential challenge for Republicans in congressional elections. Among registered voters, 55 per cent preferred Democrats to control Congress, compared with 45 per cent who favoured Republicans.
Meanwhile, 58 per cent of respondents said Trump’s policies were hurting the country, while 28 per cent believed they were helping.
Trump recorded his lowest approval ratings on the cost of living and the war with Iran, with 27 per cent approving of his handling of living costs and 29 per cent backing his approach to the conflict. Immigration and border security remained his strongest issue, with 43 per cent approving of his performance.
The political pressure comes as Vice President JD Vance acknowledged shortcomings in the administration’s handling of the Iran war, including mistakes that have contributed to growing concerns over the human and economic costs of the conflict.
Speaking during a CBS News town hall, Vance responded to questions from Joey Amor, whose wife, Master Sgt. Nicole Amor, was among six US Army Reserve soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on a military site in Kuwait during the opening hours of the war in late February.
At least 21 US service members have been killed and hundreds wounded in the conflict so far.
Vance acknowledged that the administration had made errors in its handling of the war, saying there had been “a lot of mistakes and a lot of fundamental failures”.
“Sometimes information doesn’t filter up to me,” he said, pledging to “take every single failure extremely seriously”.
The vice president also conceded that the positioning of US troops had exposed weaknesses in the military’s approach.
“I know that there are some issues with, for example … where troops were located that we realized was a huge mistake and that we could do better on. And we have changed that,” he said.
Vance further highlighted the growing threat posed by inexpensive drones, explaining that the US military had adjusted its tactics to improve troop protection and prevent further casualties.
Asked why Washington had yet to secure a decisive victory despite Trump’s initial expectations, Vance maintained that the United States had “in some ways … won decisively”, while acknowledging that the outcome also depended on Iran’s decisions.
“The enemy gets a vote here,” he said.
He defended the administration’s strategy, arguing that Washington was seeking a “final firm commitment from the Iranians that they’re not going to rebuild their nuclear programme”.
The poll results and Vance’s remarks underscore the political and public scrutiny confronting the Trump administration as the midterm elections approach, with economic concerns and the continuing war emerging as key issues for voters.
