Scaramucci says Trump approval at Nixon-era lows
Anthony Scaramucci says President Trump's approval rating is 33%, matching Richard Nixon's lows before resignation, with midterm risks.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House communications director, has said President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to levels not seen since Richard Nixon's final days in office. Speaking before the US midterm elections, he put the figure at about 33%, the lowest for a modern president, and warned that the Republican Party could face serious losses.
Scaramucci linked the president's weak standing to rising petrol prices and the wider economy. He noted that diesel and gasoline had reached an all-time high of $6.06 a gallon, creating an affordability crisis for much of the country. He also pointed to futures markets indicating an 85% likelihood of interest rate rises, which he said would add further pressure on the White House.
The interview covered the possible outcomes of the midterms. Scaramucci said the president could lose the House, which would allow Democrats to launch endless investigations into his family, his business interests and his administration. He said that while removal from office was unlikely because a two-thirds Senate majority would be needed, such a result would drive the president crazy in the back half of his term. He predicted that Trump would narrowly keep the Senate but face a hard time from the House.
Scaramucci also discussed the idea of Trump running for a third term, which he said would break constitutional norms and signal a push towards the end of the republican-based democracy. He argued that with approval ratings at Nixon-era lows and with most of the country against him, such a move would trigger a big fight, especially because Republicans privately hate him but are afraid to act.
Turning to the Democratic Party, Scaramucci said Trump is the best thing it has going for it. He described the president as a white cue ball that smashes into Democrats every day, leaving them disorganised and unable to rally behind a single candidate. He noted that Democratic voters often fail to cross over to support the party's nominee if their preferred candidate loses the primary, and argued that Democrats could beat Trump if they got their act together because he is hated more than they are.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump's approval rating was reported to be around 33%, the lowest for a modern president, similar to Richard Nixon's before his resignation. | |
| Futures markets indicated an 85% likelihood of interest rate rises in the near future. | |
| Gasoline and diesel prices were reported at an all-time high of $6.06 a gallon, causing an affordability crisis. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel conducted a one-on-one interview with Anthony Scaramucci, giving him space to make sweeping claims about Trump's approval rating, the economy, and the midterms. The tone was analytical but allowed Scaramucci to frame the narrative around Nixon-level lows and internal Republican discontent.
- “he has an approval rating that is at the Richard Nixon low prior to Richard Nixon resigning so two days before Richard Nixon resigned in August of 1974 Donald Trump has that approval rating it's about 33%”
- “the Republicans hate him you talk to them privately they all hate him and they want him out but they're afraid of them”
- “the best thing that Donald Trump has going for the Democrats you know and people ask me who runs the Democratic Party I know the answer that's Donald Trump”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.