Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Sep 26: US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 37%, the lowest recorded for any president heading into midterm elections in Wall Street Journal polling dating back to 1990, even as Trump has predicted success for Republicans in the November elections, the newspaper reported.
The latest poll comes amid pressure on the Trump administration over the ongoing conflict with Iran and concerns over rising oil prices and inflation. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll this month put Trump’s approval rating at 32%, with economic concerns and the Iran conflict among the issues cited by respondents.
Trump is also preparing to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. According to reports, he is expected to visit Iowa, Florida, Texas and Alaska, in addition to a scheduled stop in Oklahoma next week. Reuters previously reported that Trump had pledged to campaign extensively for Republican candidates, including in Texas and Alaska.
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to use a federal citizenship database to help states verify voter records ahead of the midterms. In a 6-3 decision, the court lifted a lower-court order that had blocked the Department of Homeland Security from expanding its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database for screening voter records for noncitizens.
The ruling comes as the administration has made noncitizen voting a focus of its election-related efforts. ABC News noted that audits of voter rolls have found voting by noncitizens to be exceedingly rare.
The political developments coincide with continuing uncertainty over the US conflict with Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told US officials he expects bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections. The report cited US officials, and Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify the report.
Iran’s proposal reportedly involved reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations over its nuclear programme in exchange for a halt to the conflict and changes to US measures against Iran.
During his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, Trump said he believed the US and Iran could reach a deal after the election, while also warning that Iran could face military action if an agreement was not reached.
The 2026 US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats being contested.