Overview
A six-day Reuters/Ipsos online poll, completed on Monday, found 36% of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance, unchanged from the previous month and holding near the lowest level of his current term. The survey of 4,557 U.S. adults carried a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Trump’s approval was highest in his current term - 47% - immediately after his inauguration on January 20, 2025. Since then, his standing has weakened as the administration has faced public pressure tied to the war with Iran and a high-profile spat with Pope Leo.
Temperament and mental sharpness
The poll found that many Americans question the president’s temperament and cognitive acuity following a series of explosive outbursts. Overall, only 26% of respondents described Trump as "even-tempered." Partisan responses diverged: 53% of Republicans said he is even-tempered while 46% of Republicans said he is not; a small number declined to answer. Just 7% of Democrats regarded him as even-tempered.
Concerns over mental sharpness were prominent. Some 51% of respondents said Trump’s mental sharpness had gotten "worse" over the past year. That assessment varied markedly by party: 14% of Republicans, 54% of independents and 85% of Democrats said his mental sharpness had declined.
Rhetoric and recent public statements
The poll captured public reaction after several high-profile, heated statements by the president. In recent weeks, Trump posted on social media a threat to "wipe out Iran’s civilization" and made profane threats to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants. He also attacked Pope Leo as weak on crime after the pontiff criticized the Iran war. Earlier this year, Trump alarmed allies by threatening military force against NATO ally Denmark over his demand for U.S. annexation of Greenland.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Views on the Iran military action
Support for U.S. military strikes against Iran remained limited. The poll found 36% of Americans approve of U.S. military strikes against Iran, essentially unchanged from a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 10-12, when approval was 35%.
Only 26% of respondents said the U.S. military action in Iran has been worth its costs. When asked whether strikes on Iran would make America safer, 25% of respondents agreed; that included 6% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans.
The poll was conducted during a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States that was due to expire on Tuesday.
Public opinion on the pope, NATO and national leadership
Pope Leo drew broader favorable views from the public than the president. Some 60% of respondents said they had a favorable view of the pontiff, compared with 36% who said the same of Trump. The pope also rated more favorably than prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
On NATO, only 16% of Americans backed a U.S. exit from the alliance, a course the president has threatened.
Economic concerns and household finances
The war with Iran has coincided with a sharp rise in gasoline prices, which the poll found has affected most Americans’ personal finances. That economic stress is reflected in low approval of the president’s handling of the cost of living: 26% approved, a reading tied for the lowest yet in his term.
The interaction of foreign policy, public rhetoric and rising consumer costs appears central to respondents’ views on presidential performance and the perceived trade-offs of military action.
Methodology
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online over six days and concluded on Monday. It sampled 4,557 U.S. adults nationwide and reported a margin of error of 2 percentage points.