This is a bad year for incumbents. President Trump is testing new lows in the polls as Republicans brace for tough midterm elections. But even with approval ratings in the mid-30s, by global standards Mr. Trump isn’t doing that badly.
Look at Europe. As riots sweep France and bond vigilantes push up the interest rates on its debt, the flailing President Emmanuel Macron contemplates approval ratings in the mid- to high teens. Mr. Macron’s German counterpart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, fares even worse, with at least one recent poll showing only 10% of Germans satisfied with his performance. Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to step down just over two years after his July 2024 landslide election victory. Spain’s beleaguered Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for early elections after a stinging defeat to his emergency renters’ rights agenda.