Trump's Approval Rating Hits Record Low as US Voters Feel the Pinch of Rising Prices, Trade Wars

With midterm elections drawing near, US President Donald Trump has suffered a major setback. According to the latest nationwide survey conducted by research firm Focaldata for the Financial Times, just 33% of registered voters approved of his job performance. This marks the lowest rating recorded since the survey began tracking sentiment in May - a sharp three-point drop within a single month. The discontent isn't confined to opposition voters either; visible cracks are showing even within his own Republican base. Approval within his party fell to 72%, also the lowest level recorded in the poll's history.

The primary driver behind this public anger is everyday economic pressure and the soaring cost of living. Nearly two-thirds of surveyed voters feel the American economy is heading in the wrong direction, while 57% said their family's financial situation has worsened under the current presidency. Rising fuel prices have taken a heavy toll on household budgets, with US diesel hitting an all-time record of $5.85 per gallon. Trump's aggressive trade tariff policies have also backfired with the public - 56% disapproved of his 50% import duties on Canadian goods, which triggered immediate retaliatory tariffs from Canada and pushed shop prices even higher. At the same time, the six-month-long war involving Iran has driven up government borrowing costs and made household goods costlier still.

With crucial US midterm congressional elections less than two months away in November, these numbers have set off serious alarm bells within the Republican Party. Only 53% of Republican voters now approve of Trump's handling of jobs and the economy - an eight-point drop in a single month. Far from helping his party's candidates, 46% of voters - including more than half of independent voters - say Trump's involvement makes it harder for Republican leaders to win, while 47% of independents admitted his support would actually push them away from a candidate. Capitalizing on this discontent, the Democratic Party has widened its lead on the national congressional ballot to 7.5 percentage points, putting the ruling party firmly on the back foot.