Public support for President Donald Trump has remained at its lowest level in recent days, with many Americans questioning his temperament amid a war with Iran and a clash with Pope Leo, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The six-day poll, which ended Monday, showed that just 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the presidency, unchanged from a month earlier. Trump's highest approval rating of his current term, at 47 percent, came shortly after he was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
Trump has been under pressure since his administration and Israel launched a war with Iran in February, sending fuel prices soaring. About 36 percent of Americans approve of U.S. military strikes on Iran, compared with 35 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 10-12. The latest poll, conducted online among 4.557 adults across the United States, has a margin of error of two percentage points.
The poll found that many Americans, including some members of Trump's Republican Party, have concerns about the 79-year-old president's temperament and mental capacity after a series of tumultuous outbursts, according to Reuters.
Only 26 percent of Americans said they consider Trump to be “calm.” Republicans are split on the issue: 53 percent say he is, while 46 percent say he is not, while a smaller number of respondents declined to answer. Among Democrats, just seven percent see Trump as calm.
Trump's attacks on Pope Leo have also attracted attention because Americans, in general, have a higher opinion of the head of the Roman Catholic Church than they do of the president.
Reuters recalls that Trump has shown agitation in recent weeks, posting on social media a threat to wipe out Iranian civilization, while simultaneously attacking Pope Leo, accusing him of weakness for crime after the head of the Roman Catholic Church criticized the war with Iran. Trump threatened, even using expletives, to destroy all bridges and power plants in Iran.
He alarmed allies earlier this year when he threatened to use military force against Denmark, a NATO ally, over its demand that the United States annex Greenland.
Reuters reports that the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted during a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States, which is set to expire today.
About 51 percent of Americans, including 14 percent of Republicans, 54 percent of independents and 85 percent of Democrats, said Trump's mental ability has "worsened" over the past year.
Trump's attacks on Pope Leo have also drawn attention because Americans, in general, have a higher opinion of the head of the Roman Catholic Church than they do of the president. About 60 percent of respondents said they had a positive view of Pope Leo, compared with 36 percent who felt the same about Trump. The pope was also rated more favorably by prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The poll showed that only 16 percent of Americans support the US leaving NATO, a move that Trump has threatened.
The war with Iran has caused fuel prices to soar, hitting the personal finances of most Americans. Trump's approval rating for his handling of the cost of living in the United States is at 26 percent, tied for his lowest rating ever. Similarly, only 26 percent of respondents in the poll believe that the U.S. military actions in Iran have been worth the cost.
Only 25 percent of respondents, including six percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans, said they thought US attacks on Iran would make America safer.
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