Reuters: Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record low аhead of the midterm elections

President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms․

Asked which party they would vote ⁠for if the congressional elections were held today in what is known as a "generic ballot" question, some 47% of registered voters in the nationwide poll picked Democrats and 35% chose Republicans. The 12-point Democratic advantage was the widest over the current election cycle and could bolster Democratic hopes of seizing control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.

For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years of his term.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll two weeks earlier showed Democrats leading Republicans by 7 points, 44% to 37%.

Trump's popularity has suffered since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside US ally Israel. The war ⁠triggered a surge in gasoline prices, hitting household finances. Some 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, including 37% of self-identified Republicans.

Voters in the poll picked Democrats over Republicans as the better stewards of the ⁠economy, by 40% to 33%. The survey, which was conducted online, gathered responses from 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters.