US voter anger about the conflict in Iran and inflation continues to grow, causing President Donald Trump's approval numbers to drop.
Several polls released this week show registered voters in the US are placing the blame mainly at the feet of Mr Trump and Republicans in Congress.
A poll from CNN, released on Wednesday, indicated only 34 per cent of those surveyed approved of Mr Trump. Quinnipiac's University's recent survey showed him with an even lower approval rating of 32 per cent, with the newest AP/Norc poll showing similar results.
These lacklustre numbers are unprecedented for Mr Trump, who continues to tell US voters that the country is on the cusp of winning the conflict with Iran and that the economy is "hotter than ever".
But those messages have largely failed to win over hearts and minds.
Mr Trump's decision to strike Iran on February 28, even at first an unpopular move, has contributed to the low approval rating.
CNN's poll shows that only 28 per cent of voters support Mr Trump's handling of the conflict. And about 74 per cent think his actions have hurt the US.
Overall, only about 26 per cent of people surveyed believed that Mr Trump has a clear plan for handling Iran.
That level of support has had ramifications for him, especially with the conflict causing domestic fuel prices to rise sharply.
"You just don’t ever see numbers like this,” CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten said.
Mr Enten said that Mr Trump's low approval rating was spreading to the Republican Party at the worst possible time, with midterm elections approaching in November and Democrats hoping to win control of the House and Senate.
CNN's recent poll showed that all of the anger about the long Iran conflict and economic conditions boded well for the Democrats, with those surveyed preferring Democratic candidates to Republicans "on the generic ballot" by 8 per cent.
Perhaps more foreboding for the Republican party, according to CNN, is that among those who are "extremely motivated" to vote, Democrats "have a 20-point advantage."
Quinnipiac's poll suggested that only 34 per cent of those surveyed approved of the current handling of the Iran conflict and, while slightly higher than CNN's survey, it is still the lowest in the survey since the conflict began.
“The pushback is evident," Quinnipiac University's polling analyst Tim Malloy said.
"Six in 10 voters want no part of military action against Iran, more than seven in 10 say putting troops on Iranian soil is a no-go, and if the war drags on, more than half of voters predict it will last a year or more."
Perhaps more striking is that Mr Trump's once ironclad support among Republicans is also starting to erode, with recent polling indicating that conservative US voters increasingly feel his focus should be on the economy and immigration issues rather than Iran.
Quinnipiac's latest survey showed that 76 per cent of registered Republican voters now say they approve of his overall job performance, down from 85 per cent in June.
“A warning sign is blinking red for the GOP," said Mr Malloy. "With turnout so crucial in midterm elections that many voters tend to ignore, the Democrats seem more motivated to show up than Republicans."
The AP/Norc poll, meanwhile, showed that about two thirds of US adults believe the war with Iran has not been worthwhile. This includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37 per cent of Republicans.
Overall, about 28 per cent approve of Mr Trump's handling of Iran, a slight decline from 34 per cent last month, and Republican approval dropped from 71 per cent to 61 per cent.
The findings also suggest the goals for the Trump administration and the country may not be firmly aligned. While about two thirds of those surveyed said keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon – the main purpose given by the Trump administration for the conflict – is “extremely” or “very” important, more Americans said it is highly important for the US to keep petrol prices low or negotiate a permanent ceasefire.
