US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since the Financial Times began tracking it. Voters are increasingly critical of the administration’s economic policy and the cost-of-living situation.
This is according to the results of a nationwide poll conducted by research company Focaldata on behalf of the Financial Times.
According to the findings, 33% of registered voters approve of Trump’s performance as president. That is three percentage points lower than a month earlier and the lowest figure since the survey began in May.
Among Republican voters, Trump’s approval rating also fell – to 72%, the lowest level for this group in the FT poll.
One of the main reasons for the decline, the study says, is dissatisfaction with the economic situation and the rising cost of living. Almost two thirds of respondents believe the US economy is heading in the wrong direction.
At the same time, 57% of respondents said their financial situation has worsened during Trump’s presidency.
The shift in views of economic policy has been particularly noticeable among Republicans. Only 53% of Republican voters approve of the president’s actions on jobs and the economy. Over the month, this figure fell by almost eight points.
Americans also view the president’s trade policy negatively. 56% of registered voters said they do not approve of Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on roughly $20bn worth of Canadian goods.
According to the poll, more than 60% of independent voters and almost a third of Republicans opposed the move.
Washington’s tariff policy prompted retaliatory measures from Ottawa – Canada imposed tariffs of up to 50% on certain US goods. This has heightened concerns about further price rises for American consumers.
Against this backdrop, fuel costs are rising in the US. In particular, the price of diesel reached a record $5.85 a gallon on Friday, according to the AAA motoring association.
The poll results could create additional problems for the Republican Party ahead of the US midterm congressional elections in November.
Although Trump himself will not be on the ballot, midterm elections are traditionally seen as a judgement on the sitting president’s performance.
46% of voters believe Trump is making it harder for Republican candidates in the elections. Among independent voters, the figure is almost half. In addition, 47% of independent voters said an endorsement from Trump would make them less willing to vote for a candidate.
If voting were held on party lists, the advantage currently lies with the Democrats: they lead the Republicans by 7.5 percentage points. A month earlier, the gap was 5 points.
The Focaldata poll was conducted online from 28 August to 1 September. It surveyed 1,914 registered voters. The margin of error is ±2.6 percentage points.