A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that U.S. President Donald Trump's popularity has fallen in the past few days to its lowest level since his return to the White House, affected by rising fuel prices and widespread rejection of a war with Iran.
The four-day poll, which ended Monday, showed that 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down from 40 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll last week.
Trump's popularity among Americans has plummeted due to the cost of living, with gasoline prices soaring since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28. Only 25 percent of those polled approved of Trump's handling of the cost of living, an issue central to his presidential campaign.
Trump's standing within his Republican Party remains strong. Only about one in five Republicans said they disapprove of his overall performance in the White House, little changed from about one in seven last week. But the percentage of Republicans who disapprove of his handling of the cost of living rose to 34 percent from 27 percent last week.
Trump’s approval rating was 47 percent in the early days of his presidency, and has remained at around 40 percent since last summer.
The war in Iran has changed this dynamic for a president who took office promising to avoid “stupid wars.” The poll showed that 35 percent of Americans support U.S. strikes on Iran, down from 37 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll last week. About 61 percent oppose the strikes, compared to 59 percent last week.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from February 28 to March 1 showed that 27 percent supported the strikes, 43 percent opposed them, and 29 percent were undecided.
There were few signs that Trump's declining popularity was also negatively impacting his Republican allies, who are seeking to maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections. About 38 percent of registered voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll said Republicans were better suited to manage the U.S. economy, compared to 34 percent who chose Democrats.
The survey was conducted online and collected responses from 1,272 Americans, with a margin of error of three percentage points.
