Trump approval dips to record low amid Iran war, inflation woes: Poll

Only 22 percent of US voters back the president’s performance on the cost of living, Reuters/Ipsos survey suggests.United States President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest point since he returned to the White House, sinking to 34 percent amid economic uncertainty and the US-Israel war on Iran, a Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests.The poll, released on Tuesday, also showed that only 22 percent of respondents back Trump’s performance on the cost of living. Affordability has been a top issue for US voters.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What’s in Iran’s latest proposal – and how has the US responded?list 2 of 3How Massie’s Kentucky primary may test Trump’s hold on the Republican Partylist 3 of 3Bosnia signs up to Trump-linked pipeline to reduce Russian gas dependenceend of listThe Iran war, which saw Tehran block most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has sent energy prices soaring across the world and fuelled inflation in the US.The Reuters poll was conducted April 24-27, and it surveyed 1,014 US adults.It comes months before the midterm elections in November when Trump’s Republican Party will have to contend with the US president’s abysmal job approval ratings as it tries to retain control of the Senate and House of Representatives.Trump continues to enjoy near-unanimous support from Republicans in Congress despite growing criticism of the war on Iran by some right-wing commentators and podcasters.The conflict has also been unpopular with US voters, including a sizeable Republican constituency.A Marquette Law School survey released last week suggested that only 32 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the war.The number rose to 65 percent among Republican respondents, but it still showed significant dissent within the party on the issue.A separate Associated Press-NORC poll last week reported similar findings – Trump’s overall approval rating at 33 percent, support for the war at 32 percent and his handling of the economy at 30 percent.