Donald Trump’s approval rating has plunged to a record low, according to a new Washington Post-ABC poll, as fresh numbers reveal growing concern, even among Republicans, that the president is using his office to enrich himself.
The Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll found that 66% of Americans believe Trump is using the presidency for personal financial gain. That’s nearly two-thirds of the country saying the president is putting his own interests ahead of the public’s.
But the number that could sting Trump most is what’s happening inside his own party.
A full 34% of Republicans now believe Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself. That’s a 12-point increase from September of last year, suggesting the concern is no longer confined to his political opponents.
The findings land at a particularly difficult moment for Trump and his party. With the November midterms just over two weeks away, the president has been crisscrossing the country in a campaign blitz to help embattled Republican candidates.
Instead of simply defending his record, Trump is now facing a troubling combination: a new low in approval and widespread public suspicion about his motives.
The poll raises a serious political challenge for Trump and Republicans heading into the midterm elections.
When two-thirds of Americans, and more than one-third of Republicans, believe the presidency is being used for personal gain, the question is no longer just whether voters approve of Trump’s policies.
It’s whether they trust him to put the country first.
