Trump's economic approval hits new low, rivaling Biden's worst in AP-NORC poll

A new AP-NORC poll reveals Donald Trump's economic approval has hit a record low of 26%, with only 17% backing his handling of the cost of living. Crucially, 65% of Americans blame Trump's policies, such as tariffs and the Iran war, for high prices—a much higher share of direct blame than Joe Biden faced in 2022. These historic liabilities emerge just five weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, forcing Trump and JD Vance to campaign in deep-red states to shore up lagging Republican enthusiasm.

Public approval of Trump's economic performance

• ▪The Associated Press-NORC poll showed that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of Donald Trump's handling of the cost of living.
• ▪About seven in 10 Americans, including roughly half of Republicans, stated that Donald Trump's handling of the cost of living has been worse than expected.
• ▪An Associated Press-NORC poll published October 1, 2026, found Donald Trump's economic approval rating fell to a new low of 26%, comparable to Joe Biden's low of 28% in June 2022.

Blame for high prices

• ▪The Associated Press-NORC poll found that 65% of Americans blame Donald Trump's policies for persistently high prices rather than factors outside his control.
• ▪About 67% of Republicans surveyed in the September 2026 AP-NORC poll attributed high prices to factors outside Donald Trump's control.
• ▪In October 2022, 44% of Americans blamed Joe Biden's policies for high prices, while 55% blamed external factors, representing less direct blame than Donald Trump faces in 2026.

Dissatisfaction with trade policies

• ▪A majority of 64% of Americans in September 2026 stated that Donald Trump has gone too far with new tariffs, up from 58% in January 2026.
• ▪An Associated Press-NORC poll published October 1, 2026, found that only about three in 10 Americans approved of Donald Trump's handling of trade negotiations, down from about four in 10 in March.

Trump defends his record

• ▪Donald Trump gave his administration an A-plus grade on economics and the government on October 1, 2026, despite his historically low polling numbers.
• ▪Donald Trump expressed frustration on September 30, 2026, stating that his administration was doing an extremely poor job of promotion but an extremely great job of running the country.

Growing financial anxiety

• ▪About half of U.S. adults in September 2026 reported being highly concerned about affording food and filling their petrol tanks, up from 39% in July 2026.
• ▪A Financial Times/Focaldata poll conducted August 28 to September 1, 2026, found that 57% of voters reported being financially worse off under Donald Trump.

Falling overall approval ratings

• ▪A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted September 17-20, 2026, found Donald Trump's overall job approval rating fell to 32%, a new low across both of his terms.
• ▪Donald Trump's overall job approval rating fell to 34% in a Quinnipiac University poll conducted September 24-27, 2026, marking a net approval rating of -27 points.

Impact on the midterm elections

• ▪An Emerson College poll from September 21-22, 2026, showed Democrats with an 11-point lead in the generic congressional ballot, with 53% of respondents favoring Democrats compared to 42% for Republicans.
• ▪Donald Trump's low approval ratings threaten Republican efforts to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections scheduled for November 2026.
• ▪Donald Trump and JD Vance traveled to heavily Republican areas in Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida on October 1, 2026, to shore up lagging party enthusiasm.

Debatable claims

• ▪Donald Trump's policies are the main cause of high prices
• ▪Donald Trump is a liability for congressional Republicans in the midterm elections
• ▪Donald Trump bears more responsibility for high prices than Joe Biden did
• ▪The United States economy is stronger than public sentiment suggests