The economy, stupid: 5 reasons why Trump’s popularity cratered ahead of the midterms

By Tom Wrobleski | wrobleski@siadvance.comPresident Donald Trump’s approval rating stood at a dismal 38.4% heading into the crucial midterm elections, according to an aggregation of top polls on RealClearPolitics, with 59.7% of Americans disapproving of the job Trump is doing. The president’s cratering popularity is a strong headwind for the Republican Party, which is looking to hold on to its slim majorities in the House and the Senate in next week’s midterms. Things have gotten so bad that some candidates would rather not have Trump come in and campaign with them. Trump’s nose-diving approval ratings come just two years after he decidedly defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Trump won the popular vote over Harris, 49.8% to 48.3%, and crushed the veep in the Electoral College, 312-226. More than 77 million Americans voted for Trump, who became just the second president in US history to be elected to non-consecutive terms. So what happened? Here are five reasons why Trump is no longer as popular with Americans. The economy, stupidThe American Flag flies next to a One9 Fuel Stop sign displaying gas prices for diesel and unleaded gas in Wilmington, Ohio, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)AP Photo/Carolyn KasterTrump ran on a pledge to bring down inflation and turn the economy around. But voters say that the president has failed in his mission, pointing to higher prices for gasoline, food and other items. It’s left many voters, including some who pulled the lever for Trump, feeling like their concerns are being ignored, CNN reported. The Iran warSeveral hundred people gathered late morning Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids for a large No Kings Day rally that ended with a march through downtown. Kayla TuckerTrump launched military strikes against Iran earlier this year and despite the president’s repeated assurances, there’s no end in sight. The war disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to higher gas prices at the pump. Trump has called the military action necessary to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, but US voters are increasingly opposed to the war, with a Pew Research Center poll earlier this month showing that 65% of Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling the conflict. The tariff warsPresident Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)AP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinTrump said that placing tariffs on products coming into the United States from other countries would help American workers by placing an emphasis on domestic production. But a recent poll shows that blue-collar workers and Americans overall disapprove of the tariffs, Reason reported, and believe that Trump’s actions have made products more expensive. Some studies have said that the tariffs have increased inflation, though Trump disputes that.Immigration policyImmigration and Customs Enforcement officers stand at the scene where a man was shot in his vehicle by an ICE officer, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Aaron E. Martinez /Austin American-Statesman via AP)Aaron E. Martinez/Austin AmericaTrump’s pledge to deport illegal immigrants from the country and secure the southern border helped him win re-election in 2024. But that issue has faded in popularity as Americans have turned thumbs-down on what they see as heavy-handed enforcement actions like workplace raids, PBS reported. The killing of two protestors by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota generated more disapproval. Accusations of corruptionPresident Donald Trump departs the White House en route to Trump National Golf Club Washington DC for a crypto dinner, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)APCNN said that 57% of those surveyed disapproved of the money that Trump has made from crypto currency and other investments during his second term in office. Politico reported that the president earned more than $1.4 billion from crypto in 2025 alone. Trump earlier this year taunted reporters about the haul. That’s not allPresident Donald Trump holds a rendering of the East Wing modernization as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on March 29, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesOther issues have also dimmed Trump’s appeal, including his demolition of the East Wing of the White House to build a new ballroom and his controversial renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The president has also taken knocks for his bid to take control of the country of Greenland and his attempted re-namings of the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Trump was also blasted after he tried to ban certain news organizations from the White House and he was slammed for his battles with Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff in history. A 1987 graduate of Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center, Tom began working at the Staten Island Advance in 1995. The native Staten Islander started his career at the Advance as a community board...