President Trump's disapproval rating has climbed to its highest level of his second term, according to a new Emerson College poll, as voters grapple with soaring energy costs and a turbulent economic landscape.
The survey, conducted September 21-22 among 1,000 likely voters, found that 58% disapprove of Trump's job performance, while just 39% approve. That disapproval mark is 17 points higher than when he first took office in January 2025.
When asked about Trump's performance in his second term so far, 56% said he has done worse than expected, while 26% said he has done better and 18% said he has done as expected. Compared to Emerson's 100-day poll from April 2025, the share of voters saying he's underperformed has jumped from 43%, while those saying he's exceeded expectations fell from 34%.
Economic pessimism deepens
The poll reveals widespread economic pessimism, with 60% of respondents saying Trump's economic policies are making the economy worse. Only 28% believe his policies are helping, and 13% see no effect or say it's too soon to tell.
Those concerns are underscored by the national average gas price, which stood at $4.47 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA. The spike is largely attributed to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments. Trump, however, has downplayed the pain at the pump, telling a rally in North Carolina that higher gas prices are a "very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done."
Iran war fuels political backlash
The president's high disapproval rating comes amid mounting criticism over the ongoing war with Iran, now in its seventh month. Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, in which he warned Iran to either strike a deal or face "annihilation," drew fire from both Democrats and some Republicans.
Within the GOP, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.), the party's nominee in Wisconsin's competitive gubernatorial race, has called for an end to the military conflict. His stance is echoed by other battleground candidates, including Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.). This intra-party dissent signals a potential vulnerability for Trump as he seeks to maintain Republican unity heading into the midterms.
The Emerson College Polling survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
