Trump's approval rating slips to 39%, economy weighs, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's approval rating slipped in recent days to nearly its lowest level of his current term as voters from his Republican Party soured on his handling of the economy, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The three-day survey, which concluded on Sunday, showed 39% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's job performance, down from 41% earlier in December and within a point of the 38% reading from mid-November, Trump's lowest rating this year.

The Republican leader returned to power in January with a 47% rating, but his popularity has softened since then, particularly regarding his economic stewardship. A recent government shutdown disrupted data collection on the U.S. economy, but many economists think employers have pulled back on hiring because of what some described as shock from Trump's tariffs on imports.

Just 33% of U.S. adults said they approved of how Trump was handling the U.S. economy, the president's lowest rating on the matter this year.

While Republicans continue to support the president - 85% approved of his overall performance, unchanged from earlier this month - the share of them who see Trump doing well on the economy fell in the latest poll to 72%, the lowest rating this year and down from 78% earlier in the month.

Trump won last year's presidential election on a promise to fix the economy, which suffered a bout of high inflation under Democratic former President Joe Biden. But inflation has been persistently elevated under Trump, staying close to 3% and above the 2% rate that policymakers consider healthier for the economy.

Trump's approval rating on the cost of living - at 27% - was down from 31% earlier in the month.

The poll, which was conducted online, gathered responses from 1,016 people nationwide and had a margin of error of three percentage points.