Trump's approval rating slides again in wake of Rob Porter domestic abuse allegations

Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen again amid controversy over how his administration handled allegations of domestic abuse against a former White House aide.

Mr Trump’s approval rating – which has never made it above 42 per cent – rose slightly to 40 per cent in the wake of his State of the Union address, according to the Quinnipiac University poll. But less than a month later, his approval rating slid to 37 per cent – closer to his lowest-ever rating of 33 per cent in August.

Republicans and white men were the only groups in which a majority of people approved of the president, according to Quinniapac.

The gender gap extended to other questions as well: 65 per cent of women said Mr Trump was not fit to serve as president, compared to 49 per cent of men. Seventy-one per cent of women also said the Trump administration did not do a good job handling issues with a significant impact on women, compared to 59 per cent of men.

Some of the negative feelings among women may come from the administration's handling of White House aide Rob Porter, who was granted an interim security clearance despite allegations of domestic abuse from two of his ex wives.

Both women had reported their allegations to the FBI during Mr Porter’s routine background check, and those concerns had been related to administration officials as early as last summer, according to FBI Director Chris Wray. But Mr Porter kept his job until earlier this month, when the allegations surfaced publicly.

Announcing his resignation on 7 February, Mr Porter denied the allegations, calling them “outrageous” and simply false”.

"I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” he said.

Mr Trump later praised the former aide as having done a “very good job” at the White House, and added: “We certainly wish him well.”

The president himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least a dozen women. He has repeatedly denied all such allegations.

Voters of all genders disapproved 59 to 22 per cent of the way the White House handled the situation with Mr Porter. Seventy-three per cent said someone accused of domestic violence should not receive a security clearance.

Days after Mr Porter stepped down, speech writer David Sorensen also resigned from his White House post after being accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife. Mr Sorensen denied the allegations, saying he had "never committed violence of any kind against any woman in [his] entire life".