President Trump's job approval has plummeted to 37%, marking his lowest point since returning to the White House, according to a New York Times/Siena poll released Monday. The three-point drop from January signals accelerating erosion of public confidence just as the administration faces mounting economic and foreign policy headwinds.
The collapse is most pronounced among independents, a group Republicans must win over to maintain House control in the midterms. Seventy percent of independents now disapprove of Trump, up sharply from 62% just four months ago. Republicans remain largely loyal, but even that support shows cracks on specific issues.
Economic frustration is the driving force. Roughly 64% of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, while 69% reject his management of cost-of-living pressures. A CBS News survey from Sunday found 65% believe his policies are making the economy worse in the short term. More troubling for the GOP: 37% of Republicans themselves now disapprove of his inflation record, a 11-point jump since March.
The trajectory has been steep. When Trump took office in January, 50% of Americans approved of his economic stewardship. By April, after he imposed sweeping global tariffs on Liberation Day, approval had fallen to 40%, per Quinnipiac University polling.
War with Iran is compounding the damage. Two-thirds of voters disapprove of how Trump is managing the conflict, and fewer than one in four believe it has been worth the $29 billion price tag already spent. Sixty-four percent of Americans say going to war with Iran was the wrong call, including 73% of independents. Gas prices tied to the conflict are hitting households hard. Nearly 60% report financial hardship from higher fuel costs, up 8 points since April, while 69% say they don't understand what's happening at the Strait of Hormuz, according to CBS.
Democratic voters are fractured too. Forty-four percent of Democrats say they're unhappy with their party compared to just 26% satisfied. Republicans show significantly more unity, with only 23% expressing dissatisfaction with the GOP. Despite this, CBS found 35% of Americans believe Democrats have a better economic approach versus 31% for Republicans, a critical gap in a proxy battle for voters still shopping around.
The White House is not backing down. Spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Axios that Trump remains focused on his agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy independence, and that the president makes national security decisions based on American interests, not poll movements.
Author James Rodriguez: "These numbers show Trump faces a real credibility problem on the kitchen table issues that got him elected in the first place."
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