President Trump's disapproval rating has reached a new low for his presidency, averaging 58.3 percent in May, according to a RealClearPolitics (RCP) poll average. That figure surpasses his previous high of 57.9 percent, recorded after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, as noted by RCP co-founder Tom Bevan.
The average, based on polls conducted throughout May, shows Trump's approval rating at 39.8 percent, remaining below 45 percent since late October. Trump has consistently faced higher disapproval than approval since March 12, 2025, per RCP data.
The shift in public opinion has accelerated since Trump authorized strikes against Iran on February 28. The day before the U.S. and Israel launched joint military operations, Trump's disapproval stood at 55.3 percent and approval at 43.1 percent. Now, the gap has widened significantly.
The conflict, which the administration is trying to end through negotiations with Tehran, has driven up U.S. gas prices. Iran's military has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that carried about one-fifth of global oil supply in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
While the national average price of regular gas dipped slightly from Monday to Tuesday to just over $4.49 per gallon, according to AAA, that is still more than $1.50 higher than before the war began. Trump has touted progress in talks even as explosions continue to rock the region, but the economic pain is cutting through.
A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted May 11-15 found that only 30 percent of 1,507 respondents thought Trump made the right call to go to war. Sixty-four percent said it was the wrong decision, including 84 percent of those aged 18 to 29. Six percent were unsure.
The war's unpopularity is a major liability for Trump, who has staked his political brand on ending conflicts, not starting them. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that a deal with Iran may take days more, dashing Trump's hopes for a quick resolution.
Trump's political standing is also under strain from within his own party. His estrangement from GOP senators is threatening his legislative agenda, even as he wades into intraparty fights like the Texas Senate runoff, where he backs Attorney General Ken Paxton against incumbent John Cornyn.
Democrats, meanwhile, see an opening. Poll gains are offset by internal crises and Trump's grip on the GOP, but the war and economic discontent could shift the landscape.
