Approval Ratings Hit New Lows Across Key Metrics
President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have reached record lows on multiple fronts, according to a series of new polls released this week, as the ongoing war with Iran and persistent economic pressures erode support from his core base. A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll conducted June 8–11 finds that just 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s overall job performance, while 59% disapprove. His economic approval rating has fallen to 33% — the lowest ever recorded by Marist since it began tracking the question in 2019.
Rural Voters Abandoning Trump
The steepest decline has come among rural voters, a demographic that powered Trump’s 2024 victory. The same Marist poll shows Trump’s net approval among rural Americans has plunged by 32 points since February 2025, dropping from +22 to -10. Only 43% of rural voters now approve of his performance, while 53% disapprove. In 2024, Trump carried rural voters by a 30-point margin over Kamala Harris.
Experts attribute the collapse to high gas prices, which disproportionately affect rural households that must drive longer distances. The national average gas price remains about 79 cents higher than last year, despite a recent 50-cent drop, according to GasBuddy data cited by PBS.
Economic and Iran Handling Both at Record Lows
The economic approval rating of 33% is a sharp contrast to December 2020, when half of Americans approved of Trump’s economic stewardship as he left office. Today, 60% disapprove. Only 54% of white voters without a college degree — a group Trump won handily — now approve.
On foreign policy, an AP-NORC poll finds Trump’s handling of Iran remains deeply unpopular, even as his administration negotiates a peace deal to end the over-100-day war. The conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February, has drawn bipartisan criticism, with some Republicans arguing the president lacked congressional authorization.
Broader Sentiment: ‘Dangerous Dictator’ Label Gains Ground
A separate Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll of 5,469 adults finds that 59% of Americans now view Trump as “a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.” That figure is up from 52% in March and 56% in September 2025. The poll was conducted May 1–18, while gas prices were rising and the war with Iran dominated headlines.
The White House dismissed the findings, telling Newsweek that “the ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump.”
Stakes for the 2026 Midterms
The decline in rural support is particularly alarming for Republicans, who hold razor-thin majorities in both chambers of Congress. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats in midterm elections. With key Senate and House races approaching, Trump’s slipping standing could reshape battleground states.
Recent trends in Georgia illustrate the stakes: in the Georgia Runoff 2026: Trump-Backed Collins Leads as Voters Shape Senate Battle, the president’s endorsement remains a factor, but his declining approval may complicate turnout among the rural voters who typically form the GOP base.
Meanwhile, the Iran war and its economic fallout continue to dominate headlines. The Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Holds as US-Iran Deal Faces New Strain underscores the fragility of the administration’s foreign policy achievements.
What This Means Going Forward
Trump’s approval trajectory suggests that the economic and foreign policy headwinds are now weighing heavily on his political standing. The loss of support among rural voters — a bloc that gave him 64% of the vote in 2024 — is a structural problem for the GOP heading into the midterms. If gas prices remain elevated and the Iran war continues to drag on, further erosion is likely.
Democrats are already seizing on the numbers. The PRRI poll’s finding that a majority of Americans view Trump as a threat to democracy could energize turnout among opposition voters, while Republican strategists will be watching rural county returns closely in the coming months.
For now, the data paints a clear picture: Trump’s approval is at its lowest since returning to office, and his strongest supporters are beginning to waver.
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