President Donald Trump heads into Tuesday’s congressional elections with 36% approval among likely voters, while the Associated Press has reported that U.S. officials urged allies to prepare for possible post-election action against Iran.
The New York Times/Siena survey, conducted Oct. 12-19 among 3,494 likely voters and released Oct. 21, found 59% disapproved of Trump’s performance. The margin of error was plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. Siena Research Institute described the result as a 23-point negative rating. EconoTimes previously covered the same poll.
On the cost of living, 29% approved of Trump’s handling of the issue and 69% disapproved. For gas prices, approval was 24% and disapproval was 73%. When respondents were shown candidate names in a congressional “toss-up” ballot question, Democrats led Republicans by 10 points, the Siena release said.
The Nov. 3 vote will determine which party holds a majority in each chamber of Congress for the next two years. All 435 House seats are up for election, along with about one-third of the 100 Senate seats.
Two diplomats briefed on the discussions told AP that U.S. officials had raised the possibility of renewed military action after Election Day with Middle Eastern governments and other regional allies. The diplomats also described possible Iranian retaliation, AP reported. Trump had not made a final decision, and the White House and U.S. officials declined to comment, the news agency said.
At a Michigan rally, Trump described higher fuel costs as a “small price to pay” for preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, AP reported. The news agency also reported that rising gasoline prices and voter fatigue with the conflict were weighing on Republican candidates. Voters will choose control of Congress on Nov. 3.
