How Trump’s approval changed after the Gaza ceasefire, according to a new AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll shows that more American adults support President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict in Israel after he brokered a ceasefire deal in Gaza — but his approval ratings on domestic issues remain weak.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that Trump’s apparent success on the world stage has not yet improved his public standing at home. In interviews, some of his constituents said he needs to do more to address issues like the economy, health care and immigration.

“It’s great that he brings peace, but I say, ‘You should worry about your American people instead of bringing peace to the world first,’” said Justin Sanders, a 31-year-old Republican from Birmingham, Alabama, who voted twice for Trump.

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“We need inflation to come down,” added Sanders, who works as a DoorDash driver. “I’m tired of sitting here struggling day after day trying to figure out if I’m going to eat or not.”

The survey was conducted from October 9 to 13, before the release of hostages and prisoners in Israel, but after the ceasefire agreement was announced. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza held this week although key questions remained about the US plan for the region and whether peace can be maintained.

At the same time, Trump faces significant hurdles at home as the US government shutdown enters its third week, prices remain too high for many Americans and millions more affected by health care cuts and hospital closures.

In the new poll, about 4 in 10 American adults approved of the way Trump is handling his job as president overall, unchanged since September.

Trump’s support for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has increased

About half of US adults, 47%, approve of how Trump has handled the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. This is an increase from 37% in September, primarily because Democrats view Trump more favorably on the issue.

Jack Bornstein of Alpharetta, Georgia, a 61-year-old independent who usually votes Democratic, said he was happy the Israeli hostages were released as part of the deal Trump helped negotiate.
“I give him credit for that. That’s probably the only thing I can say that’s positive for him,” Bornstein said, citing concerns about rising grocery prices, health care and Trump’s personality.

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However, a separate AP-NORC poll in July indicates that Americans are more likely to say domestic issues — such as the economy, health care, taxes, government spending and immigration — are “very” or “very” important to them than the situation in the Middle East.

In the July poll, only about 4 in 10 said the Middle East was at least “very” important to them personally, compared with about 9 in 10 who said so in relation to the economy.

Most disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, immigration and health care

On domestic issues, Americans don’t think Trump is doing particularly well — even on immigration, a key issue for the Republican president.

About 4 in 10 American adults approve of the way Trump is handling immigration, which is in line with the action he took in September, but down slightly from the start of his second term.

On the economy, a primary concern for many, only about a third of US adults approve of Trump’s performance. This number remained constant throughout his second term.

One of Trump’s weakest issues is health care, a topic that has taken center stage during the ongoing government shutdown.

About 3 in 10 American adults approve of Trump’s leadership on health care, in line with September. Nearly all Democrats disapprove of his work on health care, but so do about 8 in 10 independents and about a third of Republicans.

Alison Weaver, a 62-year-old independent from Roanoke, Virginia, said Trump’s second term was a “disaster.”

She criticized his “Gestapo tactics” on immigration, and laughed out loud when asked about his performance on health care.

“It’s terrifying,” Weaver said.

Most of them say the country is headed in the wrong direction

Trump’s internal challenges come on the eve of a new election season in which voters in New Jersey and Virginia will elect new governors next month, while several other states host municipal elections.

Trump’s weak numbers could create problems for Republican candidates who have been wary of distancing themselves from the GOP president. The new poll may also raise concerns among current officials in either party, as about 7 in 10 American adults say things in this country are going in the wrong direction.

That’s down slightly from September, shortly after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, when about three-quarters of Americans said the country was headed in the wrong direction. Republicans are less likely to say the country is headed in the wrong direction than it was last month, returning to pre-Kirk assassination levels. Democrats and independents have not changed significantly.

Dean Grace, a 73-year-old Democrat from Duluth, Minnesota, said he had very few positive things to say about Trump.

“I will give him some credit for the ceasefire, although demanding peace in the Middle East is exaggerated,” he said. “My problem is that, as a Christian, I can’t agree with my boss on ethics.”

Peoples reported from New York.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Oct. 9-13, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.