Donald Trump’s approval rating drops to just 35%, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, as the president marks his 80th birthday facing an unpopular war with Iran, age questions, and softening support even within his own party.
The poll found 63% of adults disapprove of Trump’s performance. Republican backing has also eroded: Reuters reports 79% of Republicans now say Trump is doing a good job, down from 82% earlier in the month and 91% at the start of his term.
The slide is sharpest on Iran. GVwire reports that only 62% of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the situation there, while 28% disapprove, according to the same Reuters/Ipsos survey.
Trump Approval Rating Drops Ahead of Midterms
The numbers land months before the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Republicans outside the White House are worried about the polling and the prospect of substantial losses, according to a person close to the White House who requested anonymity to discuss internal dynamics.
The White House has publicly brushed aside that narrative. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: ‘The president naturally projects strength every day by leading the strongest country in the history of the world.’
Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research was blunter. ‘In his second term, the older he gets, the lower his job rating goes. It’s the reverse Benjamin Button,’ he said. ‘He may be trying to project strength, Americans see weakness and that he’s not delivering on what he promised, lowering costs and ending military conflicts.’
Age, Iran and Economic Concerns Weigh on the President
Trump is only the second US president to turn 80 in office. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said the president is working to counter any perception of decline. ‘There’s a feeling when you hear someone is 80 that they are incapacitated,’ Brinkley said. ‘President Trump is trying to show himself to the manosphere as being fit as a fiddle, golfing regularly.’
Advisers have pushed back against questions about his health following a recent physical examination, posting social media images of reporters with their eyes closed to counter talk about his own tendency to close his eyes during events.
On the economy, Trump told reporters ‘I love the inflation’ when asked about new data showing inflation at a three-year high, comments he later told the New York Post were taken out of context. Polling shows persistent public concern about prices and the cost of living.
Trump has insisted oil prices will drop if a pending deal on Iran is signed in coming days. He has spent little time publicly reflecting on his milestone birthday. Asked by a reporter what he wishes for, he replied: ‘Peace for the world.’
Privately, he has become increasingly frustrated, according to the person close to the White House.
A UFC event on the South Lawn underlines the choreography around his image. A structure dubbed ‘the Claw’ has been built soaring nearly 100 feet, higher than the White House itself, with seating for 4,300 guests. Organisers say the event’s infrastructure totals 380,000 tons.
Brinkley said the performance is set to continue regardless of the November result. ‘Trump’s not going to allow himself to be perceived as a lame duck,’ he said.
