Trump Approval Hits All-Time Low at 33% Amid Economic Pessimism and Iran Conflict Fallout

POLICY WIRE — New York, United States — Donald Trump’s approval rating has plunged to an all-time low of 33% among registered U.S. voters, according to a new Financial Times poll conducted by Focaldata — the weakest reading since the newspaper launched the metric in May.

This figure marks a three-point decline from the prior month and arrives less than two months before the November 2026 midterm elections, intensifying pressure on Republican candidates seeking to retain control of the House and Senate.

Economic anxiety is driving the downturn: nearly two-thirds of respondents believe the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, and 57% report being financially worse off under Trump’s presidency.

A majority of voters also rejected Trump’s trade and tariff policies, while support among Republicans for his handling of jobs and the economy fell to 53% — an eight-point drop from last month.

Fuel prices surged to crisis levels on Friday, with diesel hitting a national record average of $5.85 per gallon — a development tied to ongoing disruptions in global energy markets stemming from the war with Iran.

In the Oval Office, Trump characterized the conflict as a limited military operation, telling reporters, I call it a military conflict because it is small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.

He further dismissed the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that new pipelines, alternative shipping lanes, and overland transport would supplant the waterway — declaring, The Hormuz Strait is not what it used to be.

Trump added that Iran’s leverage over global oil flows would erode, predicting, They’re going to end up with a Hormuz Strait that’s not very necessary anymore.

Meanwhile, party identification data from Gallup’s second-quarter 2026 survey shows Democrats holding a six-point advantage — 31% to 25% — the widest Democratic lead in partisan affiliation in over ten years.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)