President Donald Trump’s approval ratings continue to collapse, with a new Fox News poll showing they have fallen to their lowest level in either of his two terms.
The polling comes as Republicans spend huge sums on campaigns designed to mobilize the Republican base to avert a potential crisis in the November 3 midterm elections.
Vice President JD Vance gives remarks at a Sports Council announcement, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (White House Intern Photo by Julian Casciano)
The survey, published Wednesday, October 14, showed only 36% of registered voters approving of the president’s performance. 64% disapproved.
The figures show a dramatic reduction in support for the president, with voters frustrated by rising prices and the ongoing war with Iran.
The findings also come as other major surveys show Republicans are on the verge of major electoral losses next month, with Democrats poised to win control of Congress.
The president also appears to be losing support among the most traditionally reliable Republican voter base, including the lower-income Americans and those without college degrees who have historically supported President Trump.
Trump’s Approval Falls to Record Low
The latest Fox News survey, which was conducted between October 9 and 12 among 1,202 registered voters, showed Trump’s approval rating declining from 39% in May.
The decline was particularly notable among voters under 45, nonwhite Americans, and those earning less than $50,000 annually.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds first press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Support among Republicans also fell to 76%, down from 88% in September 2025 and 92% in March of that same year.
Independent voters are particularly unhappy with the president’s performance, too, with 78% saying they disapprove of his performance so far.
Trump received his worst-ever ratings on inflation, with only 22% of respondents approving of his handling of rising prices and 77% disapproving.
70% of respondents also disapproved of his overall economic management.
69% disapproved of his tariff policies, and 64% gave his foreign policy a negative assessment.
Border security, however, was the only major on which the president avoided a negative rating, with voters apparently evenly divided at 50% support.
Inflation Is Trump’s Biggest Problem
After campaigning on bringing prices and inflation down, the president now faces a reckoning from voters who may otherwise have voted Republican in November, as price increases continue amid the ongoing war with Iran and the resulting disruption to international energy markets.
The latest inflation figures released this week showed consumer prices rose 3.7% over the last 12 months ending in September, up from 3.4% in August.
Gasoline prices have risen substantially, up 34% over the past year.
The problem goes well beyond gasoline prices, too: Fox News polling shows 60% of voters say the cost of living is their chief economic concern.
In the poll, 74% of respondents rated the national economy negatively, and only 18% said their families are better off now than they were two years ago.
Separate polling from Harris, published by The Guardian on Thursday, October 15, also revealed growing concern among Americans.
In the survey, 65% of independent voters said the economy is in poorer shape, up from 48% in September 2024.
The polling also showed that 28% of Republicans believe economic conditions are improving, down from 49% in February – shortly before the United States began its military campaign against Iran.
What Other Polls Say
The Fox News poll is no outlier.
On Thursday, October 15, The Associated Press also published a survey, conducted with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which showed widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the U.S.
The survey found that about eight in 10 registered voters want substantial changes or a total overhaul of how the federal government operates, even among Republicans.
About 45% of Republican respondents want substantial change, and another 13% support an even more fundamental upheaval.
The findings show that dissatisfaction isn’t limited to Democrats, and that even Republicans are concerned about the president’s performance so far.
The AP-NORC poll also showed that about three-quarters of Democratic voters considered voting in November extremely important.
Six in 10 Republicans said the same, meaning Republicans appear somewhat less enthusiastic about turning out to vote in the midterms than Democrats.
AOC. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
But the White House is publicly confident, dismissing concerns that recent polls show declining Republican enthusiasm and disenchantment with the Trump administration.
Speaking to Axios, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said that critics and pollsters have repeatedly underestimated the president.
Specifically, Ingle said that “underestimating President Trump and this administration have proven the experts and pollsters wrong every single time.”
While historic polling of the president’s performance has been wrong, particularly in the 2016 election, pollsters still see Democrats holding an edge as the midterms approach.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
