A new poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating has sunk to a new low, driven by Americans’ concerns over rising costs, particularly at the pump.
Trump’s energy secretary, Chris Wright, may not have helped win over any new fans for his boss after he said Sunday that gas prices likely won’t fall below $3 per gallon until next year.
What has fallen is Trump’s popularity. Amid growing concerns about the economy associated with the war with Iran, the new NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 37% of adults approve of Trump’s performance as president, while 63% disapprove, 50% of whom said they disapprove strongly.
Two-thirds of all Americans surveyed say the country is on the wrong track — the most pessimistic outlook in Decision Desk polling since Trump retook office last year, according to NBC.
Notably, GOP support for the president has dipped compared to the last Decision Desk poll conducted in late January and early February. The new poll show 83% of Republicans give Trump a positive approval rating, down 4 percentage points. And Republicans who say they strongly approve of Trump’s job performance has dropped 6 points, from 58% to 52%.
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Nearly two-thirds of Americans said gas prices are a problem for them. Twenty-nine percent of respondents called prices at the pump a “very serious problem,” with 36% describing it as a “somewhat serious problem,” and 29% saying it’s not too serious.
Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” when gas prices might fall below $3 again, Wright said, “I don’t know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year, but prices have likely peaked and they’ll start going down.” He said the war would have to end to kick-start a drop in gas prices.
The national average gas price hovers just above $4 per gallon, according to the motorist group AAA. In West Coast states like Washington and California, prices are over $5 per gallon. Last year’s national average at this time was $3.16.
The spike has been fueled by the war, which began on Feb. 28 after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. In retaliation, Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas chokepoint and shipping route, severely disrupting global markets.
Despite a temporary ceasefire agreement, a truce to end the conflict remains elusive. Trump on Sunday renewed threats to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure if no deal is reached. He said U.S. negotiators will return to Pakistan on Monday for a second round of peace talks.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.