President Trump’s approval rating slips as inflation and aggressive policies erode support, risking Republican control of Congress in upcoming elections.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump enters the New Year and the midterm election season with a diminished political standing despite dramatically expanding presidential power.
Historians and analysts note his once unshakeable hold on the Republican party is slipping as he faces the inevitable waning influence of a second-term president.
Trump stormed back into office with a policy blitz that reshaped America’s domestic agenda and global relations.
He delivered on vows to remake the economy, the federal bureaucracy, and immigration policy, becoming one of the most powerful presidents in modern U.S. history.
Some Republican lawmakers are now rebelling against his leadership, however.
Opinion polls show a growing number of voters are unhappy with the high cost of living and an aggressive immigration crackdown.
Trump’s approval rating slipped to 39% recently, nearly its lowest level of his current term, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Republican voters have soured on his handling of the economy, the poll indicated.
Republicans now risk losing control of Congress in the November elections, which would threaten Trump’s domestic agenda.
A Democratic-controlled House could also raise the specter of a third impeachment.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said lowering inflation has been a priority since Trump’s first day back in office.
Desai blamed high prices on former Democratic President Joe Biden, adding “much work remains” on the issue.
In his first year back, Trump has cut the federal civilian workforce and dismantled government agencies.
He slashed humanitarian aid, ordered sweeping immigration raids, and sent National Guard troops into Democratic-run cities.
His administration also triggered trade wars with tariffs and prosecuted political enemies.
Trump has increased executive might at a rate rarely seen before, historians say, through extensive use of executive orders.
The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court has mostly sided with him, and the Republican-controlled Congress offered little resistance.
“Donald Trump has wielded power with fewer restraints in the last 11 months than any president since Franklin Roosevelt,” said presidential historian Timothy Naftali.
Analysts say Trump’s difficulty convincing voters he understands their struggles with rising costs is a key vulnerability.
Some Republican lawmakers may distance themselves to protect their seats in November.
Trump hit the campaign trail this month to promote his economic agenda ahead of the midterms.
Aides say he will deliver multiple speeches next year to convince voters he has a plan to reduce high prices.
His recent 90-minute address in Pennsylvania alarmed some Republican strategists, however.
Trump meandered through unrelated subjects and derided “affordability” as a Democratic “hoax.”
A Republican with close White House ties conceded Trump faces economic headwinds heading into the New Year.
The public mood on the rising cost of living has “become a persistent drag,” the source said.
“We have to remind voters they need to give the president a full four years,” the Republican added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
