Trump approval rating falls to record low of 31 percent amid republican slump

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows US President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 31 percent, the lowest point of his political career. The same survey found his Republican Party trailing Democrats by 12 points when voters were asked which party they would support in a generic matchup.

Trump's disapproval numbers have been rising steadily in recent months, particularly since the February 28 start of the US-Israel war on Iran, which pushed up petrol and diesel prices and affected the broader economy.

Other recent surveys point to similar difficulties for Trump and his party ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which will decide control of the House and Senate. An NBC poll released Sunday found 71 percent of Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with 55 percent saying they would back the Democratic Party if elections were held immediately.

A separate Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos poll, also published Monday, recorded Trump's approval at a record-low 33 percent, with seven in ten respondents saying petrol or gasoline prices have become unaffordable.