Trump Approval Hits Record Low Amid Iran War Escalation

President Donald Trump saw his approval ratings drop to record lows of 32% to 34% in late July 2026, according to polls from Quinnipiac University, YouGov, and CNN/SSRS. The decline is primarily driven by a military conflict in Iran that began on February 28, which has entered its sixth month. Public dissatisfaction centers on economic instability, with gasoline prices exceeding $4 per gallon and oil topping $100 a barrel due to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent escalations in late July involved U.S. strikes on Iranian military and commercial sites and retaliatory Iranian attacks on U.S. facilities in the Middle East. These events resulted in 18 American service member deaths, though the administration reportedly attempted to revise these casualty figures. While Trump maintains the war is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, an AP-NORC poll found that two-thirds of U.S. adults believe the conflict has not been worthwhile.

Domestic political tensions have intensified as Trump clashed with Senate Majority Leader John Thune over a $95 billion budget package to fund the war. Former ally Alex Jones called for the president's removal via impeachment or the 25th Amendment, citing the war and a trillion-dollar defense act as paths toward tyranny. Conversely, the Tea Party Patriots reported that 61.4% of Americans support the objective to "finish the job" in Iran, asserting that the conservative movement remains aligned with the president.