New polling suggests President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level yet as the Iran war and economic pressures dominate the political landscape.

Newsweek contacted the White House via email for comment.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek in a previous emailed statement: "The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and common-sense agenda."

With the 2026 midterms approaching, independent voters are emerging as the decisive fault line for Republicans, particularly as the Iran war fuels higher gas prices and cost-of-living concerns.

Those pressures are reshaping the political environment at a moment when congressional control is up for grabs.

A new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll shows Trump’s approval rating slipping to 42 percent, the lowest level recorded in that survey series—a development that comes at a precarious moment for Republicans heading toward the 2026 midterm elections.

The survey, conducted online from March 18 to 20, polled 1,037 registered voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The figure marks a steady erosion in support since the Iran conflict began, falling from 44 percent on March 3, just days into the war, and down sharply from 48 percent in late January, before U.S. strikes were launched.

With control of Congress likely to hinge on competitive districts and swing voters, the timing of that decline is raising fresh questions about the GOP’s broader electoral footing.

Much of the slide appears to be driven by losses outside Trump’s core base, particularly among independent voters, a bloc Republicans will need to remain competitive in November.