President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a career-low 32% in Reuters/Ipsos polling as the midterm elections approach. The decline is heavily driven by a collapse in support among Hispanic voters, with only 24% approving of his performance, and widespread public dissatisfaction over fuel-driven inflation linked to the war in Iran. Consequently, Democrats hold a 44% to 37% lead over Republicans among registered voters, threatening the GOP's congressional majorities.
Trump's overall approval ratings
- ▪As of October 5, 2026, major polling averages placed Donald Trump's approval rating between 37% and 38.4%, with disapproval ratings ranging from 59.4% to 60%
- ▪A CBS/YouGov poll conducted September 30 to October 2, 2026, found Donald Trump had a 39% approval rating and a 61% disapproval rating
- ▪A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed October 5, 2026, found Donald Trump's overall job approval rating held at a career-low 32%, matching his September 2026 low and representing his lowest support in that poll during either presidential term
Causes of Trump's declining approval
- ▪Voters in the October 5, 2026, Reuters/Ipsos poll cited the cost of living as their top concern, driven by fuel-price inflation following the outbreak of the war with Iran that Trump launched in February
- ▪Donald Trump's approval rating began to drop sharply following his announcement of "Liberation Day" tariffs in April 2025 and the start of the war with Iran that Trump launched in late February 2026
- ▪An Associated Press-NORC poll conducted September 24-28, 2026, found only 17% of respondents approved of Donald Trump's handling of the cost of living, while 65% blamed him for high costs
Midterm preferences among key demographics
- ▪Independent registered voters in the October 5, 2026, Reuters/Ipsos poll favored Democrats over Republicans 37% to 21%, with 28% remaining undecided
- ▪The Republican advantage among voters aged 50 or older fell to 2 percentage points in October 2026, down from an 8-point advantage in December
Hispanic voter preferences
- ▪Only 24% of Hispanic Americans approved of Donald Trump's job performance in the October 5, 2026, Reuters/Ipsos poll, marking his lowest support from that demographic in either presidential term
- ▪An NBC News/Telemundo poll released on October 4, 2026, found Democrats led Republicans by 24 percentage points among Latino voters on which party should control Congress
- ▪In the October 5, 2026, Reuters/Ipsos poll, 52% of Hispanic registered voters planned to vote for Democrats in the midterms, while only 26% planned to vote for Republicans
Voter attitudes toward AI regulation
- ▪Among voters in the CBS/YouGov poll conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 2 who favored candidates restricting AI, 72% planned to vote for Democrats and 27% planned to vote for Republicans
- ▪A CBS/YouGov poll conducted September 30 to October 2, 2026, found 53% of respondents preferred a midterm candidate who restricts AI use, while 22% preferred a candidate who promotes it
Debatable claims
- ▪The US war in Iran does more harm than good
- ▪Donald Trump's policies are the main cause of high prices
- ▪Donald Trump is a liability for congressional Republicans in the midterm elections
Story comments
Loading comments…