Breaking: Trump's Approval Plummets Amid Iran Crisis Address

President Trump will address the nation this evening on the Iran war as his approval rating has taken a nosedive over the past few weeks amid growing opposition to his handling of the conflict. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will provide an “important update” to the country at 9 p.m. EDT. She did not provide additional information on what he plans to discuss.

The address will be Trump’s first time directly addressing the country from the White House since the war started more than a month ago and comes as the president appears to be at a decision point in week five of the war. The president’s prime-time remarks are also taking place on the first night of Passover, a holiday regularly celebrated by his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are Jewish.

Trump’s approval has been steadily on the decline in the Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) polling average in the weeks since the U.S. and Israel first launched their joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. It fell below 40 percent for the first time during his second term last week and currently stands at a near low of 39.7 percent. Meanwhile, his average disapproval rating is hovering near its highest point of his second term, standing at more than 56 percent.

Trump’s approval rating has consistently been underwater since before last summer, and it’s taken hits in recent months as a rising percentage of Americans have soured on his handling of major issues such as the economy, inflation and immigration. But the developments of the past few weeks have seemed to exacerbate the issue for Trump, causing him to reach new lows across multiple pollsters and with key demographics.

His economic approval rating hit a new low in a CNN survey released today, falling to 31 percent. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the U.S. One of the most eye-catching survey results came earlier this week from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which found Trump’s approval rating to be 33 percent, the lowest mark ever recorded from either of his terms.

The pollsters found 62 percent of respondents disapprove of his job performance, including 53 percent who disapprove strongly. Less than 30 percent of respondents said they support Trump’s handling of the Iran offensive, while 62 percent disapprove. Two separate polls released last week from Quinnipiac University and AP-NORC Center also placed his approval rating in the 30s, though slightly higher at 38 percent. A Fox News poll found Trump’s disapproval rating to be 59 percent, the highest recorded from his time in office.

Declining views among independents, particularly over the commander-in-chief’s handling of Iran, have been most responsible for the shift. Polling from The Economist/YouGov has charted the drop seen among voters who don’t identify with either major party. In a poll taken in early March, 30 percent of independents approved of Trump’s handling of the situation.

But that fell into the 20s in two additional polls later in the month, and it now stands at 19 percent, according to the most recent poll from The Economist/YouGov released Tuesday. Trump’s approval among independents in the DDHQ average reached a new low Monday, dropping below 30 percent for the first time in his second term.

Gas prices have been top of mind for voters in recent weeks as oil prices have soared amid the Middle East conflict. The average national price of gas surpassed $4 per gallon on Tuesday for the first time since 2022. The rise in prices have paralleled a drop in Trump’s approval on the economy.

A considerable amount of uncertainty remains about the administration’s plans on the war. Trump has repeatedly threatened a significant escalation in targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure and hasn’t ruled out sending troops in for a ground invasion while touting U.S. negotiations with Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth followed that approach in a press briefing on Tuesday, saying the U.S. wouldn’t rule out taking any particular course of action.