President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has edged up to 41%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday, reversing a dip that took his numbers to the lowest point of his second term just last month.
The survey of 4,434 U.S. adults, conducted over six days and closing December 8, found Trump’s approval rising from 38% in late November. His disapproval rating stands at 57%. The poll has a margin of error of about 2 percentage points.
Poll analysts say the small but noticeable bump is tied directly to how Americans feel about Trump’s handling of cost-of-living issues (groceries, housing, gas, and other everyday expenses). Those issues have dominated kitchen-table conversations for months and played a big role in last month’s off-year elections, where Democrats scored surprisingly easy wins, including in the high-profile New York City mayor’s race, by hammering Republicans on affordability.
After those Republican losses on November 4, the White House appears to have gotten the message. In recent weeks, President Trump has dialed back some of the tariff increases he imposed earlier in his term and has promised new steps to bring down stubbornly high food prices.
The shift seems to be registering with voters, at least a little. Trump’s approval rating specifically on cost-of-living issues rose from 26% in late November to 31% in the new poll—one of his weakest areas, yet still an improvement. Perhaps most importantly for Republicans eyeing the 2026 midterms, the president’s own base is rallying around the new focus: 69% of Republicans now say they approve of how he is handling cost-of-living concerns, a 10-point jump in just a few weeks. Overall GOP approval of Trump sits at 85%, up from 82% last month.
Inflation remains a challenge. The most recent government data, from September, showed prices rising 3% compared with a year earlier, a slight increase from 2.9% the month before.
While 41% is still well underwater and far from a political honeymoon, the modest rebound suggests that when Trump trains his attention on pocketbook issues, some voters (especially his core supporters) take notice. Whether that momentum lasts into the crucial 2026 midterm elections may depend on whether grocery bills and rent prices actually start coming down. For now, the latest poll offers the White House a small but welcome sign that its pivot toward affordability is beginning to move the needle.
