Americans Turn Against Trump as Tariffs Spark Approval Drop

Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped to 43%, the lowest since he returned to office, as Americans react to controversial tariffs and his handling of a military strike in Yemen, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

The survey lasting three days concluded on Wednesday indicated a drop of 2 percentage points in Trump’s presidential approval rating compared to the poll taken from March 21-23. Additionally, this represents a decrease of 4 percentage points from his initial approval rate of 47%, recorded right after he assumed office on January 20.

Trump registered his highest first-term approval rating, 49%, shortly after he took office in January 2017. His lowest first-term rating was 33% in December 2017. His overall approval remains stronger than it was for most of his first term.

Democratic President Joe Biden, who preceded Trump in the White House, saw his approval ratings drop to their lowest point at 35%, shortly before last November's presidential election.

Participants rated Trump unfavorably for his management of the economy, as only 37% agreed with how he handled it. Additionally, 30% approved of his efforts to tackle the high cost of living, a challenge that similarly affected Biden.

Approximately half of those surveyed—52%—concurred with the assertion that raising duties on vehicles and automotive components, which were central elements of the new tariff initiative President Trump announced on Wednesday, would negatively impact individuals near them. A similar proportion indicated that imposing higher tariffs would result in more detrimental effects rather than benefits. Around one-third of Americans, primarily within Trump’s Republican base, expressed disagreement with these claims regarding potential harms caused by increased tariffs.

Since assuming office, Trump has initiated a flurry of policy shifts, resulting in the dismissal of almost 200,000 federal employees and overturning long-standing U.S. diplomatic practices. His approach to tariffs has alarmed financial stakeholders, causing them to offload stocks due to fears that these measures might precipitate an economic downturn.

Worries about signal situation

Participants also criticized the Trump administration's management of military secrets , after it was revealed last week that high-ranking officials discussed strategies for attacking militants in Yemen using the publicly accessible Signal messaging app and accidentally disclosed confidential plans to a reporter.

In the Reuters/Ipsos survey, 74% of participants—comprising 91% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans—considered discussing the attack strategies in such a way as reckless. Only 22% viewed it as an innocent mistake. Additionally, 70% concurred with asserting that Trump ought to take accountability for the issue at hand.

Only 34% of respondents in the poll approved of Trump's handling of foreign policy, down from 37% in the March 21-23 Reuters/Ipsos poll. Some 48% of respondents approved of Trump's handling of immigration .

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online and nationwide, surveyed 1,486 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.