President Donald Trump’s poll numbers are now so dire that his disapproval rating is higher than at any point in his two terms, including following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots in 2021.
After a string of dismal polls over the past few weeks, Trump’s average disapproval rating is now at 58.3 percent—higher than the previous average of 57.9 percent, which he achieved in the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection.
RealClearPolitics averages all the major polls to determine the president’s rating, and its latest aggregate revealed the extent of the damage Trump’s image has suffered.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s appeal has been waning among voters since his war with Iran began on Feb. 28. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to record-high gas prices and driven debate around the cost of living.
Trump has also compounded the view that he doesn’t fully grasp the financial stress of Americans by repeatedly admitting that he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial struggles in his attempts to achieve a peace deal with Iran. “Not even a little bit,” he said.
One poll released Tuesday found that seven in 10 Americans say they’re either “angry” or “frustrated” with Trump’s handling of the economy.
The billionaire president has been slow to address these concerns, describing the cost of gas as “peanuts,” signaling that his own wealth is perhaps a barrier to understanding the plight of the average American family.
“I appreciate everyone putting up with it for a little while; it won’t be much longer,” the 79-year-old said on May 19, while standing in front of the demolished East Wing and showing off his plans for his huge new ballroom that he tried to get $1 billion in taxpayer funding for.
Trump also admitted that he knew the war in Iran was unpopular, but then immediately contradicted himself.
“Everyone tells me [the war] is unpopular, but I think it’s very popular,” he said.
“Whether it’s popular or not popular, I have to do it, because I’m not going to let the world be blown up on my watch. Not gonna happen.”
