Trump Approval Sinks as Gas Prices Rise

October 8, 2026
Melissa Toufanian

This Navigator Research report covers the war with Iran, foreign policy and national security.

Big Takeaways:

President Trump’s approval ratings have hit all-time lows in Navigator tracking.

Majorities disapprove of Trump’s handling of gas prices, inflation and the cost of living, and foreign policy.

War with Iran shows cracks in Trump’s base: a third of Republicans, and even a quarter of MAGA Republicans, do not think Trump has a clear timeline and goals for the war with Iran.

President Trump’s Approval Ratings Hit A New Low

With the midterms less than a month away, President Trump’s job approval has hit a new Navigator low. 62% of Americans disapprove of how he is handling his job as president, while just one third (36%) approve. Nearly half (49%) strongly disapprove. 

Views of Trump’s handling of the economy are equally as negative, and also hit a new low, with 65% disapproving (including 50% strongly) and 32% approving. Key constituencies, like Americans ages 18-34 (69% disapprove), Black men (72% disapprove), Black women (90% disapprove), Hispanic women (83% disapprove), and independents (72% disapprove) all disapprove at rates higher than Americans overall.

Graph from Navigator Research titled: As the War With Iran Continues, Trump’s Approval Ratings
Overall and on the Economy Continue to Hit New Lows

Iran and Rising Costs Are Top-of-Mind For Americans

The war with Iran is dominating negative news coverage of Trump, along with prices, the economy, and gas. 

Graph from Navigator Research titled: The Prevailing Story on Trump Remains a Flailing Economy and the War With Iran

On gas prices, inflation and the cost of living, and foreign policy – all issues that have been top-of-mind for Americans and consistently dominate news coverage – Trump’s approval ratings are deeply underwater. 

  • 76% disapprove of Trump’s handling of gas prices, including 60% who strongly disapprove. Only 20% approve. 
  • 73% disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living, including 56% who strongly disapprove. Only 23% approve. 
  • 58% disapprove of Trump’s handling of foreign policy, including 46% who strongly disapprove. Only 34% approve. 

Democrats have gained ground against Republicans on which party people trust to handle foreign policy. 40% now trust the Democratic Party more while only 32% trust Trump and the Republican party. 20% trust neither party. Democrats also hold a significant trust advantage on handling gas prices and the cost of living.  

Graph from Navigator Research titled: Trump’s Approval Ratings on Gas Prices and Inflation Are
Overwhelmingly Negative; Democrats Have a Trust Advantage

Opposition to the war with Iran has held steady as the conflict enters its seventh month. 50% of Americans oppose the war while 39% support it. This has remained largely unchanged since March 2026 when 49% opposed and 40% supported the war. Views on whether the war has been worth it are similarly stable, with 31% saying it has been and 59% saying it has not.

What has changed is how Americans view the administration’s strategy. A growing share (62%, up from 56% in April when the war began) say Trump does not have a clear timeline and goals for the military operation, compared with just 28% who say he does. Among those who say he lacks a clear plan, 45% feel this way strongly, up from 37% in April. 

A majority of independents are against the war, with 51% opposed, 58% not viewing the conflict as worth it, and 60% reporting they do not think Trump has a clear timeline and goals. 

Graph from Navigator Research titled: Three in Five Say the War With Iran Has Not Been Worth It

There are also significant fractures within the Republican party on the war with Iran. 

  • One-in-four Trump 2024 voters now regret their vote and many cite the war with Iran as a top reason. 
  • One-in-five (22%) Republicans oppose the war, including 14% of MAGA Republicans.
  • One-third (33%) don’t view the war as worth it, including one-in-four MAGA Republicans (26%).  
  • 37% don’t think Trump has a clear timeline and goals, including about one-in-four (24%) MAGA Republicans. 
Graph from Navigator Research titled: One in Four Regret Voting for Trump in 2024, the Highest in Navigator Tracking – Including a Third of Non-MAGA GOP

Reminding people of the cost of the war, and driving a contrast with what those billions of taxpayer dollars could have been spent on, remains effective messaging in driving opposition to the war. 

Graph from Navigator Research titled: Showing the Cost of the War – and What’s Been Cut – Increases the Share of Those Who Say the War Has Not Been Worth It

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