NBC poll shows Trump approval at second-term low amid Iran war

Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a new low for his second term, with 57% of Americans disapproving as the war in Iran collides with persistent economic frustration. The latest NBC News polling also shows that the weakness is not confined to the broader public: Republican support softened, and the country’s mood on inflation, costs and national direction remained deeply negative.

NBC News’ Decision Desk poll, published April 19, found 37% of adults approved of Trump’s job performance while 63% disapproved, including 50% who said they disapproved strongly. NBC said that was the lowest point of Trump’s second term in its polling at the time. The same survey found two-thirds of respondents disapproved of Trump’s handling of inflation and the Iran conflict, while only one-third said the country was on the right track.

The economy remained the central pressure point. In the April poll, 29% of Americans said the economy was the most important issue facing the country, and 45% identified inflation and the rising cost of living as the top economic concern. Trump’s standing on that issue was poor: 32% approved of his handling of inflation and cost of living, while 68% disapproved.

The erosion reached into Trump’s own party, though not enough to endanger him there yet. NBC reported that Republican approval slipped to 83%, down 4 points from the prior Decision Desk survey, while the share of Republicans who strongly approved fell 6 points, from 58% to 52%. That softer intensity matters because second-term political durability often depends on whether a president keeps loyal voters energized even when independents and swing voters drift.

Kristen Welker highlighted the numbers on Sunday TODAY in a June 14 segment with Willie Geist, framing the 57% disapproval figure as a sign of fresh strain on Trump’s standing amid the war in Iran and ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. RealClearPolling’s national average, using surveys from May 14 through June 11, showed Trump at 40.3% approval and 56.7% disapproval, a similar picture of sustained weakness.

For Republicans heading toward the 2026 midterm elections, the problem is not just one bad poll. It is a pattern: inflation, foreign policy and a pessimistic national mood have combined to leave Trump underwater, and the numbers suggest that dissatisfaction is broad enough to complicate the defense of congressional majorities.