TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) approval rating has crashed to a historic low of 32.7%, according to a Taiwan's Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF, 台灣民意基金會) poll released Tuesday (Sept. 16). The survey, conducted by Focus Survey Research (山水民意研究公司), interviewed 1,077 Taiwanese citizens between Sept. 8 and 10, revealing widespread dissatisfaction with the president's leadership amid mounting political challenges.
The poll exposes deep public skepticism toward Lai's presidency, with 57.8% of respondents disapproving of his performance—30% somewhat disapproving and 27.8% strongly opposing his leadership. Lai's recent Cabinet reshuffle and other adjustments, implemented following major political setbacks, failed to convince voters, with only 26.4% finding these measures useful while 57.6% deemed them ineffective.
Survey designer Yu Ying-long (游盈隆) identifies seven factors driving Lai's popularity decline, including failed recall efforts, unclear Taiwan-U.S. tariff negotiations, and scandals involving Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), a prominent political figure. The president's reform efforts face rejection across all demographics and regions, with particularly harsh criticism in Tainan City, his traditional stronghold, where only 34% of residents support his recent adjustments. ◼
