Donald Trump's standing with the American public has deteriorated to its lowest point across his two terms, with disapproval now exceeding 60 percent and economic anxiety emerging as his most acute vulnerability.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Sunday found 62 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's job performance, marking his worst rating to date. The numbers come just six months before November's midterm elections and reflect broader voter anxiety about the country's direction, with two-thirds of Americans saying the nation is headed the wrong way.
The president now faces majority disapproval on virtually every issue tested. His handling of inflation and the cost of living stands as particularly toxic terrain: 76 percent disapprove while only 23 percent approve. His management of the escalating Iran conflict also troubles a significant majority, with 66 percent disapproving against 32 percent in support.
Trump's decision to launch military action against Iran in February triggered a global oil crisis that sent gas prices to four-year highs, compounding economic headwinds voters are already feeling at the pump and in their wallets. The price surge appears to have amplified existing concerns about purchasing power and wages.
On the international front, Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. would assist stranded commercial vessels navigating the strait of Hormuz, framing the effort as a humanitarian intervention. More than 850 ships remain trapped in the Gulf as a result of the conflict. The president offered few operational details, and according to U.S. media reports citing unnamed officials, the plan would not involve direct Navy escort of vessels. Instead, it would create a coordination mechanism allowing shipping stakeholders to manage traffic flow through the strategic waterway. The effort is set to begin Monday morning.
Trump claimed his representatives were conducting "very positive" talks with Iran, though no diplomatic breakthrough has been announced.
Behind the scenes at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's aggressive removal of senior military officers has triggered internal alarm. A retired Army major-general warned that the purges of highly regarded officers could damage U.S. military capability at a critical moment when forces are engaged against Iran. The officer drew a stark comparison to Stalin's decimation of Red Army leadership before World War II, arguing that similar institutional gutting could weaken American military readiness.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Rome this week in an effort to repair relations with Italy's government and the Vatican, both of which have grown increasingly distant from the Trump administration.
Elsewhere in the administration, a report released Sunday accused senior health officials of spreading misinformation that has triggered what it terms a "crisis of public trust." The document calls for Congress to conduct oversight hearings and possibly pursue impeachment of officials including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended new charges filed against former FBI Director James Comey, asserting the prosecution rests on evidence beyond a social media post from last year.
Arizona's top election official warned that Trump is attempting to compile personal information on all Americans as part of efforts to control voter eligibility and essentially "select his own citizenry."
Federal prosecutors also revealed Sunday that they have evidence a federal agent was shot during an alleged recent assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, according to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Author James Rodriguez: "Sixty-two percent disapproval is death knell territory for any president with six months until the midterms, and the fact that his economic stewardship is dragging down everything else means there's no easy rescue plan ahead."
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