Trump Approval Sits at 36%-42% as China Visit Collides With Iran and $5 Gas

1 articles · Updated · Courier Journal · May 13

Most recent national polls put Donald Trump’s approval between 36% and 42% as he arrives in Beijing for meetings with Xi Jinping running from May 13 to May 15.
Marist shows the deepest weakness on key issues driving the slide: 33% approve of Trump’s handling of the Iran war, 37% approve of his handling of the economy, and 56% say the cost of living is unaffordable.
Gas prices are a major pressure point, with nearly 8 in 10 Americans saying fuel costs are straining them and 63% blaming Trump for high prices as gasoline pushes toward $5 a gallon.
Across the broader polling average, unfavorable ratings consistently outweigh support, ranging from 55% to 63% in surveys from Marist, Reuters/Ipsos, The Economist, Quinnipiac and others.
The weak numbers leave Trump heading into high-profile China talks under domestic pressure from inflation, energy costs and the Iran conflict rather than with a clear political tailwind.

With the U.S. mired in Iran, is the high-stakes China summit a strategic masterstroke or a sign of desperation?

Can a massive trade deal with Beijing provide an off-ramp for the unpopular Iran war and its economic fallout at home?

Will a new détente with China sacrifice U.S. tech dominance for short-term economic and diplomatic gains?