Trump disapproval highest in second term amid economic woes: Emerson College

President Trump’s disapproval rating hits the highest mark it has during his second White House stint amid rising energy costs and economic woes , according to a new poll.

In an Emerson College poll, Trump’s disapproval rating hit 58 percent, while 39 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of his job as president. The disapproval rating is 17 points higher than when Trump first took office in January 2025.

When asked how Trump has done in his second term so far, 56 percent responded he has done worse than expected, 26 percent said he has done better and 18 percent responded he has done as expected.

Compared to Emerson College’s 100 Day Poll from April 2025, those who say his performance is worse than expected increased from 43 percent, while those who say better decreased from 34 percent.

Sixty percent in the poll believe Trump’s economic policies are making the economy worse, while 28 percent think they are making it better and 13 percent think there is no effect or it is too soon to tell.

The president’s high disapproval rating comes as he faces criticism for the ongoing Iran war and widespread concern for his handling of the economy.

The national average price of gas is $4.47 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA . Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil exports, is the primary cause of higher prices in recent months.

The president brushed aside these rising costs, saying recently at a political rally in North Carolina that hiked gas prices were a “very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done.”

He is receiving backlash from figures within the GOP as Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.), the Republican nominee in Wisconsin’s competitive gubernatorial race, called for the end to the military conflict against Iran.

Tiffany’s call was echoed by candidates in other battleground elections , such as Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).

Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that Iran faces a choice of either striking a deal with the U.S. to end the more than six-month war or face “ annihilation .”

The Emerson College Polling survey was conducted between Sept. 21-22 with 1,000 likely voters surveyed. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.