Americans worry that war will further push up oil prices. Trump's approval rating remains persistently low

(Washington Reuters) The latest poll shows that as most Americans expect gasoline prices to continue rising due to the war in Iran, President Trump's approval rating remains at the lowest point of his political career.

According to a poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos on Monday (June 8th), approximately 35% of the respondents approved of Trump's governance performance, remaining the same as in the previous round of polls in mid-May. This figure is slightly higher than 34% recorded in the April survey, which was the lowest support rate for Trump's current term; it is also close to his lowest record during his first term, which was 33% in December 2017.

Due to Trump's decision to take military action against Iran, the price of gasoline soared, causing widespread dissatisfaction among the American people. Approximately 36% of the respondents supported launching a military operation against Iran, and 25% believed that the cost paid by the United States was justified.

After the ceasefire between the United States and Iran in April, the fighting has largely subsided. However, the two sides have yet to reach a lasting peace agreement. Under such circumstances, approximately 59% of the respondents predict that the price of gasoline in the United States will be higher in the coming year, while only 17% believe that the price will decrease.

Meanwhile, Trump's response to the soaring cost of family living received only 22% of the respondents' approval. As many as 70% of the people expressed disapproval.

Regarding the issue of living expenses, the respondents believed that Trump's performance was worse than that of his predecessor Biden. When Biden left office, 29% of the people approved of his performance in this regard, while 63% did not.

During Biden's administration, the country was plagued by high inflation. This issue ultimately hurt the Democratic Party and helped Trump win the 2024 presidential election.

But nowadays, the persistently high fuel prices have eroded the economic advantage of the Republican Party. 36% of the respondents believe that the economic strategies of the Democratic Party are better, which is almost on par with the 37% who think the Republican Party's strategies are superior.

Bloomberg's analysis points out that the economy is usually the most important issue for voters and is also a trump card for Trump in his tumultuous and controversial political career. However, although he returned to the White House by capitalizing on people's anxiety over rising living costs, he failed to eliminate this anxiety.

Trump is attempting to downplay the impact of high prices and frequently shifts public attention to other issues, such as the renovation project at the White House. He argues that once the conflict ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, energy prices will quickly fall.

However, analysts believe that even if the situation eases, energy prices will not automatically return to pre-war levels. Joseph Brusuelas, the chief economist of RSM US, pointed out that the damage to oil facilities in the Middle East and the risk of renewed escalation of the conflict would all hinder the recovery of the energy market.

He said: "Before the mid-term elections in November, the drag on the economy caused by the war is expected to severely affect the household consumption of the middle class, the working class and the poor laborers... This is not a good sign for the current administration and the ruling majority party."