President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed rising gas prices as “peanuts,” even as new polling shows his economic approval rating falling to a new low.
The remarks highlight growing pressure on the White House as inflation and fuel costs remain high, weighing on voters and shaping political sentiment ahead of the midterms. The disconnect could have broad implications for U.S. households and the 2026 elections, with rising prices and the Iran war expected to remain central campaign issues.
Gas prices are averaging about $4.53 per gallon nationwide, according to AAA data, while new polling shows Trump’s approval at just 37 percent, underscoring voter frustration with the cost of living.
“This is peanuts. I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. But I don’t even think about it. What I think about is you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
What is Donald Trump’s Current Approval Rating?
Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 37 percent in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, with 59 percent of voters disapproving of his overall performance.
The survey also showed deep dissatisfaction with the economy: roughly two-thirds of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy and cost of living, and only about a quarter believe he is managing inflation effectively.
Nearly half of respondents rated the economy as “poor,” reflecting rising concern over affordability as inflation and energy costs remain elevated.
In the chart below, approval and disapproval figures combine both “strongly” and “somewhat” responses—meaning the headline ratings reflect overall sentiment rather than intensity alone.
The survey of 1,507 registered voters was conducted between May 11 and May 15 using live telephone interviews in English and Spanish. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
Broader polling averages reinforce the picture seen in the Times/Siena data.
The New York Times polling aggregate also puts Trump at 59 percent disapproval and around 38 percent approval, closely mirroring the latest single survey.
CNN’s “poll of polls,” which combines several recent national surveys of U.S. adults, shows a similar balance, with roughly 38 percent approving and 62 percent disapproving of the president’s performance, giving a net rating of -22.
Analyst Nate Silver’s polling average points to a continued downward trajectory.
Trump’s net approval has slipped to around minus 20 in the aggregate, compared with minus 19 one week earlier and minus 18.6 the week before that, indicating a slow but steady deterioration rather than short-term volatility.
The aggregated data suggests the current numbers are not an outlier but part of a sustained pattern across pollsters, methodologies and samples.
Inflation & Approval Ratings
Analyses of economic polling suggest Trump’s standing on inflation is now worse than at any point for either his presidency or Joe Biden’s.
According to a recent Cato Institute review of Economist/YouGov polling, only 25 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of inflation, while 69 percent disapprove—a net rating lower than any recorded during Biden’s tenure.
That deterioration comes despite inflation peaking higher under Biden, highlighting that voters’ expectations for falling prices—and not just slowing inflation—are shaping perceptions of the current administration’s performance.
More broadly, Trump’s overall approval rating has not risen above the high 30s in recent polling, placing him among the lowest-rated modern presidents at this point in a second term.
The White House has pushed back on the significance of the polling, pointing instead to Trump’s 2024 election victory as the clearest measure of public support.
Spokesperson Davis Ingle said the administration views that result—when roughly 80 million Americans voted for Trump—as the defining verdict on its agenda and direction.
In an email to Newsweek earlier this month about unfavorable polling, Ingle said, “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.
“No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”
When Are Gas Prices Going Down?
There is little immediate relief in sight for drivers, with fuel prices remaining elevated due largely to the ongoing conflict with Iran and disruptions to global oil supply.
Gas prices have climbed to around $4.50 per gallon nationally, up sharply since the start of the conflict earlier this year, when geopolitical tensions drove energy costs higher.
Economists warn that oil shocks can feed through into broader inflation by raising transportation and production costs across industries, meaning relief at the pump could take time even if crude prices stabilize.
For now, polling suggests voters are increasingly attributing rising costs to the administration, setting up inflation and energy prices as defining issues heading into the midterm elections.
Last week, President Trump said he is “not even a little bit” worried about Americans’ finances when he’s negotiating with Iran on a potential deal.
“Not even a little bit,” the president said. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations, I don’t think about anybody, I think about one thing, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all,” Trump added while speaking with reporters before heading on his trip to China to meet with President Xi Jinping.
Trump’s remark sparked an avalanche of criticism online from prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Shapiro said last week, “Gas is over $4.60/gallon in Pennsylvania today. Donald Trump’s chaos continues to jack up costs and make life harder for everyone — and he literally doesn’t give a damn.”
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
