Six months into a war he promised would last weeks, Donald Trump finds himself at the lowest point of his current presidency — 33 percent approval — as fuel prices climb a third higher and eight in ten Americans brace for a conflict without a visible end. The Iran war, launched in February to prevent nuclear proliferation, has instead become a test of whether a leader's credibility can survive the distance between a campaign promise and a prolonged reality. History reminds us that wars have a way of outlasting the certainties of those who begin them, and that economic pain has a way of making
Trump's approval hits record low as Iran war fuels economic concerns
When both sides see the same problem, the president becomes the problem.
Mark
Why does a war that started with such clear messaging—a few weeks, a specific threat—end up eroding support so broadly?
Mimi
Because the gap between what you say will happen and what actually happens is where trust lives or dies. Trump said weeks. It's been months. People can see the gas pump.
Mark
But he's arguing the cost is worth it. Doesn't that argument land with anyone?
Mimi
It lands with some. But when even his own voters—the ones who showed up for him—start doing the math and deciding the answer is no, you've lost the narrative. You're no longer leading; you're explaining.
Mark
The 80 percent figure is striking. That's Democrats and Republicans agreeing.
Mimi
That's the thing about a war that doesn't end. It stops being about ideology and starts being about your monthly budget. When both sides see the same problem, the president becomes the problem.
Mark
Does this necessarily translate to electoral consequences?
Mimi
Not necessarily. But it means he's governing without the cushion of public belief. Every month the war continues, that cushion gets thinner. And his base—the people who should be most forgiving—are already doing the cost-benefit analysis.
Mark
What would change the trajectory?
Mimi
Either the war ends, or he finds a way to make people feel the sacrifice is worth it. Right now he's doing neither convincingly.
El Pulso
- Trump's approval has collapsed to 33 percent — matching his first-term low — as 64 percent of Americans now disapprove of his handling of the presidency.
- Fuel prices have surged nearly a third since the February invasion of Iran, directly contradicting the inflation-control promises that helped carry Trump back to the White House.
- Eighty percent of Americans — including 71 percent of Republicans — believe the Iran conflict will drag on indefinitely, far beyond the few-weeks timeline the president originally sold.
- Trump is attempting to reframe the economic pain as patriotic sacrifice, telling rally crowds that a little more at the pump is worth keeping nuclear weapons out of Iranian hands — but the public is not buying it.
- The fracture is deepest where it hurts most: only one-third of self-identified MAGA voters believe the war's economic costs are justified, signaling that even his most loyal base is beginning to question the trade-off.
Six months into a war he promised would last weeks, Donald Trump finds himself at the lowest point of his current presidency — 33 percent approval — as fuel prices climb a third higher and eight in ten Americans brace for a conflict without a visible end. The Iran war, launched in February to prevent nuclear proliferation, has instead become a test of whether a leader's credibility can survive the distance between a campaign promise and a prolonged reality. History reminds us that wars have a way of outlasting the certainties of those who begin them, and that economic pain has a way of making abstract geopolitical goals feel very concrete at the gas pump.
Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33 percent — the lowest of his current presidency and equal to the worst moment of his first term — as a Reuters/Ipsos poll finds nearly two-thirds of Americans disapproving of his job performance. The numbers land six months into a war he promised would be over in weeks.
When Trump ordered military action against Iran in February, the stated goal was clear: prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But the conflict has not resolved on the president's timeline. Iran has kept its grip on Strait of Hormuz oil flows largely restricted, sending American gasoline prices climbing nearly a third compared to a year ago. For voters who chose Trump partly on promises of lower prices and no new foreign entanglements, the gap between rhetoric and reality has grown impossible to overlook.
The unease is strikingly bipartisan. Eighty percent of Americans believe the war will stretch on for an extended period — a view shared by 87 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans. Only 16 percent expect the swift resolution Trump originally outlined, suggesting the public's skepticism is rooted in observation rather than partisan opposition.
At a Friday rally, Trump pushed back, telling supporters that paying a little more for gasoline is a reasonable price for keeping Iran from going nuclear. But the most telling sign of political trouble may not be in the overall numbers — it is in his base. A Politico poll found that just one-third of self-identified MAGA voters believe the war's economic costs are justified. When the president's most loyal constituency begins to fracture over a core policy, the path to the next election grows considerably narrower.
Donald Trump's approval rating has collapsed to 33 percent, the lowest point of his current presidency and matching the nadir he hit in December 2017 during his first term. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted over four days found that nearly two-thirds of Americans—64 percent—disapprove of how he is handling his job. The numbers arrive as the country grapples with a war that has stretched far beyond what the president promised.
When Trump ordered military action against Iran in February, he assured the public it would be brief—a matter of weeks. The rationale was straightforward: prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that could destabilize the world. But six months later, the conflict shows no signs of ending. Iran has managed to keep its oil and gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz largely restricted, a chokehold that has rippled through American fuel markets. Gasoline prices have climbed nearly a third compared to a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association. For voters who elected Trump partly on promises to control inflation and avoid entangling foreign wars, the gap between campaign rhetoric and current reality has become impossible to ignore.
The polling reveals the depth of public unease. Eighty percent of Americans believe the Iran conflict will drag on for an extended period—a view held by 87 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans alike. Only 16 percent think the war will wrap up in a few weeks, the timeline Trump originally outlined. This consensus cuts across party lines, suggesting the concern is not partisan posturing but genuine anxiety about what lies ahead.
Trump has not backed away from the conflict. At a rally on Friday, he told supporters that paying "a tiny little bit more for your gasoline" is a reasonable price for ensuring Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons. The framing attempts to recast economic pain as a necessary sacrifice for national security. But the public appears unconvinced, or at least unwilling to absorb the cost without complaint.
Even more telling is the fracturing within Trump's own base. A Politico poll found that just one-third of self-identified MAGA voters—typically his most loyal supporters—believe the economic costs of the Iran war are justified. When the president's core constituency begins to question the trade-offs, it signals potential erosion that could reshape the political landscape heading into the next election cycle. The approval numbers suggest that promise-keeping, not just party loyalty, remains the currency of presidential support.
Citas Notables
Paying a tiny little bit more for your gasoline is worth the cost of ensuring a very evil country cannot have a nuclear weapon— Trump, at a rally on Friday
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War & Conflict