More U.S. adults support President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict in Israel after he brokered a ceasefire deal in Gaza, a new AP-NORC poll finds — but his approval ratings on domestic issues remain weak.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that Trump’s apparent success on the world stage has not yet improved his overall standing at home. In interviews, even some of his voters said he needs to do more to address issues such as the economy, health care and immigration.
“It’s kind of cool he’s bringing peace, but I’m like, ‘You kind of need to 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.
“We need the inflation to go down,” added Sanders, who works as a driver for DoorDash. “I’m tired of sitting here struggling going day by day trying to figure out if I’m going to eat or not.”
The poll was conducted Oct. 9-13, before the hostages and prisoners were freed in Israel, but after the ceasefire deal was announced. The tenuous ceasefire in Gaza has held this week even as major questions remain about the U.S. plan for the region and whether the peace can be sustained.
Trump’s approval on Israeli-Palestinian conflict rises
About half of U.S. adults, 47%, approve of how Trump is handling the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That’s an increase from 37% in September, and it’s driven primarily by Democrats viewing Trump more positively on this issue.
Jack Bornstein, of Alpharetta, Georgia, a 61-year-old independent who typically votes for Democrats, said he was pleased the Israeli hostages were released as part of the deal Trump helped negotiate.
