Trump's war in the Middle East triggers an "inflation bomb," severely damaging public opinion; the U.S. stock market and midterm elections are in jeopardy.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Monday, President Trump's approval rating has dipped to its lowest level during his current presidential term, with the vast majority of Americans concerned that the war between the U.S. and Iran will last a long time. In this four-day poll, only 33% of respondents said they approved of Trumps performance in the White House, while 64% said they disapproved. Trump's approval rating is down from 35% in a poll conducted earlier this month and is lower than at any point during his current term, now matching the record low set during his previous term in December 2017. Trump's approval rating has fallen to the lowest point since his second term began. When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he received support from nearly half of Americans. However, his popularity suffered a blow after he ordered strikes against Iran in coordination with U.S. ally Israel. The ensuing conflict has crippled one-fifth of global oil trade, driving up gasoline prices and burdening American householdsputting pressure on Trumps Republican allies, who are trying to maintain a congressional majority in the midterm elections in November. During his campaign, Trump promised to control inflation and avoid protracted wars, initially assuring that the conflict with Iran would last only a few weeks. However, Iran proved to be highly resilient, and even as the conflict cooled, the oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz remained significantly hindered. The poll found that about 80% of Americansincluding 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicansbelieve that U.S. involvement in Iranian affairs "will last quite a long time." Only 16% think the conflict could end within a few weeks. Most respondents believe that the war in Iran will continue for a long time. Trump defends high gas prices. At a political rally in Garden City, New York, last Friday, Trump stated that "paying a little more for your gas" is worth it, as it ensures that "a very evil country" cannot obtain nuclear weaponsone of the justifications he provided for the war. Throughout the conflict, the president has swung between threatening to escalate the situation and asserting that a peace agreement is imminent. The latest poll found that only one-fifth of Americansand exactly half of Republicansbelieve the war is justified. Concerns over the war and gasoline prices have left Republicans anxious about maintaining their narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the election on November 3, while Democrats increasingly believe the Senate is also within their grasp. This months poll shows that voters believe for the first time in nearly a decade that Democrats are better at managing the economy than Republicans. The latest poll shows that 38% of voters believe Democrats handle economic issues better, while 35% prefer the Republican approach. Democrats are also seen as more capable of addressing cost-of-living issues. Who handles cost of living better? Throughout Trump's term, the Republican approach to immigration has consistently been more popular than that of the Democrats, with a dramatic decline in border crossings, and Trump ordering a nationwide crackdown. However, fatal conflicts and an increase in detentions involving children have led the Republicans to lose ground. According to the latest poll, about 40% of registered voters say the Republicans have a better approach to immigration policy, while 38% chose the Democrats. This 2-point gap is the lowest during Trump's term, compared to a 26-point lead for the Republicans in January 2025. Who has better immigration policies? This poll was conducted online and collected responses from 1,166 American adults nationwide, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.