President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has plummeted to a historic low of 37%, with disapproval reaching 62%—the highest level of disapproval during his two terms in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released May 3.
Voters give him his weakest marks on the cost of living, inflation, and the war with Iran, while Democrats lead Republicans by five points on the generic congressional ballot six months before the November midterms.
The poll surveyed 2,560 U.S. adults from April 24 to 28 through the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel, with interviews conducted online in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points for the full sample, 2.2 points among 2,059 registered voters, and 2.8 points for half-sample questions asked of 1,268 to 1,292 adults.
Trump’s overall approval rate has remained roughly flat from February at 39%, but disapproval climbed two points to a two-term high. Sixty-seven percent say the country is on the wrong track.
On Iran, 66% disapprove of his handling, and 33% approve; 61% call the use of military force against Iran a mistake. Approval of his economic management has fallen seven points since February to 34%, inflation approval dropped five points to 27%, and cost-of-living approval sits at 23% with disapproval at 76%.
He performs best on border enforcement, with approval at 45% and disapproval at 54%. Among registered voters, Democrats lead Republicans 49% to 44% on the generic House ballot—up from a two-point edge in February. Seventy percent of registered voters report being absolutely certain to vote, and 58% consider this year’s midterms more important than past ones.
Within the GOP, 65% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the party should follow Trump’s lead, down from 71% in February. Twenty-six percent of all adults identify as MAGA supporters.
Several specific administration positions draw majority opposition: 65% oppose ending birthright citizenship, 78% oppose cuts to federal medical research funding, 65% oppose raising military spending from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion, and 59% oppose ending temporary legal status for migrants from conflict-affected countries.
Seventy-six percent reacted negatively to Trump’s post warning that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” without an Iran deal. No senior Trump administration official drew net positive ratings—Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FBI Director Kash Patel were each net minus 19; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was net minus 17; Vice President JD Vance was net minus 13; and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was net minus 7.
However, soon-to-be-replaced Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell had a net plus 7 rating.
By Jim Thomas
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
