A RECENT Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that a significant number of Americans question President Donald Trump’s temperament amid ongoing military conflict with Iran and a public dispute with Pope Leo.
The president’s approval rating remains at the lowest point of his term. The six-day survey, which concluded on Monday, shows that only 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, unchanged from the previous month.
This stands in contrast to his highest approval rating of the term—47%—recorded shortly after his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Trump has faced mounting pressure since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, a conflict that has driven petrol prices sharply higher.
The poll indicates that 36% of Americans support the U.S. military strikes against Iran, nearly identical to the 35% recorded in an April 10–12 Reuters/Ipsos survey.
The latest poll, conducted online with 4,557 U.S. adults nationwide, carries a margin of error of two percentage points.
Beyond policy concerns, many Americans—including some within Trump’s own Republican Party—have expressed unease about the 79-year-old president’s temperament and mental sharpness following a series of explosive outbursts.
Only 26% of all respondents described Trump as “even-tempered.” Republicans are divided on the question: 53% consider him so, while 46% say he is not. Among Democrats, merely 7% view Trump as even-tempered.
Trump’s Profane Threats
In recent weeks, Trump has exhibited agitation, posting a social media threat to “wipe out Iran’s civilization” and launching profane attacks on Pope Leo after the pontiff criticised the Iran war.
Trump has threatened—using vulgar language—to destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants. Earlier this year, he alarmed allies by threatening military force against NATO member Denmark over his demand for U.S. annexation of Greenland.
The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted during a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., which was set to expire on Tuesday.
Mental Sharpness in Question
Fifty-one percent of Americans—including 14% of Republicans, 54% of independents, and 85% of Democrats—said Trump’s mental sharpness had deteriorated over the past year.
Trump’s Clash with the Pope
Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo have drawn attention partly because Americans hold a generally more favourable view of the pontiff than of the president.
Some 60% of respondents view Pope Leo favourably, compared with 36% who say the same of Trump. The pope is also viewed more favourably than prominent Democrats, including California governor, Gavin Newsom, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The poll found that only 16% of Americans support a U.S. exit from the NATO alliance—a move Trump has threatened.
Economic and Security Concerns
The war with Iran has triggered a surge in petrol prices, hitting most Americans’ personal finances. Trump’s approval rating on handling the cost of living stands at 26%, tied for the lowest reading of his term.
Similarly, only 26% of respondents believe the U.S. military action in Iran has been worth its costs. Just 25% of Americans—including 6% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans—think the U.S. strikes on Iran will make America safer.
