New Quinnipiac Poll Places Trump at 34% Approval — the Lowest of His Second Term
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 34 percent — a new second-term low — according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, as voter dissatisfaction deepens over rising gas prices and the ongoing war with Iran ahead of November’s midterm elections.
His disapproval rating now stands at 58 percent, reflecting a 4-point drop in approval and a 3-point rise in disapproval since last month’s Quinnipiac survey. Multiple independent polls confirm the downward trend.
Independent and Young Voters Are Abandoning Trump
The erosion is sharpest among voters Trump will need to hold the House and Senate. Among independents, only 26 percent approve of the president’s performance, while 64 percent disapprove — a sub-30 approval figure that signals serious structural weakness for Republicans in competitive districts.
Trump has also recorded consecutive record or near-record lows among millennials, a voting bloc that has grown as a share of the electorate with each election cycle.
Party-line loyalty remains intact but lopsided: 80 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance, compared with just 2 percent of Democrats.
Economy Approval Hits All-Time Low Across Both Terms
Trump’s approval rating on the economy has dropped to 33 percent — the lowest recorded by Quinnipiac across either of his two terms. Disapproval on the economy stands at 64 percent.
“What was perhaps the signature issue that propelled Trump to winning two elections sours with voters, and cracks form in GOP enthusiasm for his handling of the economy,” said Quinnipiac Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.
Gas prices are a visible driver of that frustration. According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline now sits at $4.555 per gallon, up from $4.511 just last week, as the war with Iran continues to pressure energy markets.
What Other Polls Show
The Quinnipiac findings are consistent with other recent surveys. A YouGov/The Economist poll released Tuesday, conducted May 15–18 among 1,549 U.S. adults, placed Trump’s approval at 37 percent against 57 percent disapproval.
An AP-NORC poll, also conducted May 14–18 among 1,117 adults, found a 37 percent approval rating and a 62 percent disapproval rating overall. On the economy specifically, AP-NORC recorded 33 percent approval versus 67 percent disapproval — matching Quinnipiac’s economic figures almost exactly.
Midterms Loom as Warning Sign for Republicans
Columbia University political scientist Robert Y. Shapiro told Newsweek that while Trump’s recent primary wins reflect his grip on the Republican base, they obscure a broader vulnerability. “His approval among the rest of the electorate is abysmal, and this can be fully decisive in the upcoming midterm elections,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro added that the damage could extend beyond November, affecting Republican prospects in the next presidential race and shaping Trump’s long-term standing in presidential history.
The White House pushed back on the polling. Spokesman Davis Ingle pointed to Trump’s 2024 election victory, calling it “the ultimate poll,” and credited the president with making “historic progress” on jobs, inflation, and housing affordability — claims that are difficult to reconcile with the administration’s record-low economic approval numbers.
Methodology
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,106 self-identified registered voters nationwide from May 14 to May 18, with a margin of error of ±3.7 percentage points.