President Donald Trump’s approval rating has slipped slightly in recent weeks as Americans express growing concerns about the U.S. economy and rising prices, according to a new
Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The online survey, conducted over three days and closing Sunday, found that 41% of respondents approve of Trump’s performance as president, down from 42% earlier this month. Meanwhile, 54% of those surveyed say the national economy is heading in the wrong direction, up from 53% in August.
When it comes to Trump’s handling of economic issues, support remains modest. Only 35% of respondents said they approve of his management of the economy, and just 28% approved of his approach to the cost of living. Both figures are slightly lower than in previous polls. Trump, who returned to the White House this year, ran on promises to fix the economy.
Economic data has mirrored these worries: job growth slowed sharply in August, pushing the unemployment rate to a nearly four-year high of 4.3%, while inflation accelerated. Public anxiety over the economy was even higher earlier this year, during Trump’s threats of aggressive tariffs on imports, which rattled the stock market.
Americans Split on Political Extremism
Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month, Trump has shifted his rhetoric toward warning about dangers from his political opponents, telling attendees at a memorial for Kirk that “the violence comes largely from the left.”
Polls this year have consistently shown that Americans see political extremism as a top concern. In the latest survey, 28% of respondents named it the country’s most pressing problem, while 16% cited the economy. When asked which party is better equipped to handle extremism, opinions were divided: 30% chose Republicans, 26% chose Democrats, and the rest either said neither or were unsure.
Despite the economic concerns weighing on Trump’s approval, the Republican Party still enjoys a lead over Democrats when it comes to economic management, with 34% of respondents favoring Republicans versus 24% for Democrats.
Immigration Remains a Strong Point
Trump’s approval is strongest on immigration, where his policies—including mass arrests of people suspected of being in the country illegally—receive a 42% approval rating, unchanged from earlier this month. This marks the highest rating Trump has received on any single issue in the poll.
The survey, which polled 1,019 people nationwide, has a margin of error of three percentage points. This month, Reuters/Ipsos made a slight methodological change, removing the option for respondents to say they were “not sure” about whether they approved or disapproved of Trump’s overall performance. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.
