Trump approval rating drops to 37% ahead of US midterms: WSJ poll

US President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 37%, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll conducted just weeks before the midterm elections. This marks the lowest approval rating for a president ahead of the midterms in the paper's surveys since former President George H.W. Bush.

The poll found that 37% of voters approve of Trump's performance, the lowest pre-midterm figure recorded by the Journal since George H.W. Bush's 39% during his second term.

The survey comes about a month before this year's midterm elections, at a time when issues such as the economy, cost of living, immigration, and the conflict with Iran are dominating the US political landscape.

Regarding the economy, 60% of respondents said Trump's economic policies have worsened the situation, while 25% believe they have improved it. Another 10% said the policies had no effect, and 5% were either unsure or did not specify their view on the impact of these policies.

The poll results coincide with the ongoing war in Iran, now in its seventh month, which has affected US energy costs amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry.

According to AAA data, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States reached about $4.48 on Monday morning, up from around $3.13 a year ago.