President Donald Trump is confronting fresh political turbulence after a new poll showed his approval sinking to a historic low, with signs of softening support among key voter groups central to his return to office.
The latest New York Times/Siena poll, conducted between May 11-15 among 1,507 registered voters, shows that just 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, down from 41 percent in January.
That is Trump’s weakest showing in any Times/Siena poll across both of his terms in office.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
It comes as polls have shown Trump’s approval sinking amid his deeply unpopular war with Iran, which has seen energy prices spike.
Since Trump’s war with Iran began in February, energy prices have spiked as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, with the national average price for regular gas climbing above $4.50 a gallon, according to AAA.
In seven states, the average price of gasoline has exceeded $5 per gallon.
At the same time, inflation climbed to 3.8 percent in April, marking its highest level in almost three years.
And polls show that voters are feeling the effects ahead of the midterms.
The New York Times poll showed that just 28 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, while only 31 percent approve of his approach to the war in Iran.
On top of that, just 30 percent of Americans say he made the “right decision” in launching strikes against Iran.
Meanwhile, the latest CBS/YouGov poll showed that 59 percent say gas prices have been a financial hardship, up from 51 percent in April.
In the same poll, 35 percent said Democrats have a better approach to the economy, compared with 31 percent for Republicans and Trump.
The poll findings will sound an alarm for Trump and his party ahead of November’s midterms, with the issue of affordability playing on voters’ minds.
While recent presidencies have often been marked by deep polarization and low approval ratings, The New York Times/Siena data shows no president in the past 17 years has stayed below 38 percent approval for more than a brief stretch, suggesting Trump’s current numbers appear to have hit a modern political “floor.”
As a result, some in Trump’s party have expressed concern that rising gas prices could be an “Achilles’ heel” for Republicans in November.
“The toughest thing, too, is that we made gas prices the Achilles’ heel for (former President Joe) Biden and now it’s our own,” an unnamed adviser told Reuters last week.
And the polls point to troubling warning signs ahead for Republicans. The New York Times/Siena poll showed Democrats leading Republicans by 11 points in the race for Congress, 50 percent to 39 percent among registered voters.
That marks a shift from earlier surveys in the cycle, which typically showed a narrower Democratic edge of just 2 to 5 points.
The gap widens among high-propensity voters, with Democrats holding a 14-point advantage among those “almost certain” or “very likely” to vote.
The poll also points to erosion in support for Trump among groups that were key to his 2024 coalition.
Young voters and nonwhite voters have swung back toward Democrats, restoring the party’s traditional advantage. Trump’s approval among voters aged 18 to 29 stands at just 19 percent, while only 20 percent of Hispanic voters approve of his performance.
Other polls have also shown Trump’s support crumbling among non-college-educated white voters, another group that was crucial to his 2024 victory.
Still, Trump seems unfazed by the situation. Asked Tuesday if Americans’ financial struggles factored into his push for a deal with Iran, Trump responded: “Not even a little bit.”
