Support for Trump among Republicans has fallen by 9 points in the space of a week

Support for US President Donald Trump among Republicans fell from 82% to 73% over the course of a week, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Against the backdrop of the war in Iran and a 51% surge in fuel prices, 51% of his party colleagues disapprove of the president’s handling of the cost of living. The figures were released six weeks ahead of the mid-term congressional elections.

Dissatisfaction with the economic policy is growing

According to Reuters/Ipsos, 44% of Republicans oppose the economic policy Trump. General approval rating The President’s approval rating among voters has fallen to 32% — the lowest figure since he took office.

This decline in support within the party comes in the run-up to the 3 November election, when Americans will elect a new House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the Senate. The Republicans hold 218 seats in the lower house, compared with 214 for the Democrats; two seats remain vacant.

The war in Iran and fuel prices have become a key issue in the election campaign

The war in Iran and rising fuel prices have been cited as the main reasons for the drop in support, which runs counter to Trump’s promises to curb inflation. According to AAA, on 21 September the average price of a gallon of regular petrol in the US was $4.4786.

Trump acknowledged that petrol prices had risen because of the war, but described this as a small price to pay for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In contrast, Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Ginson and Michigan candidate Mike Rogers called for a swift end to the conflict and proposed measures to reduce fuel prices.