President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 30 percent in October 2026, marking a new second-term low according to a Pew Research Center survey. The decline is driven by eroding support among his 2024 voter base—particularly young and Hispanic voters—and widespread voter dissatisfaction with the economy, inflation, and foreign policy during an ongoing conflict with Iran. With Democrats holding an eight-point generic ballot lead, 63 percent of voters view Trump as a factor in their upcoming midterm vote.
Other recent national approval polls
- ▪Major polling averages on October 8, 2026, placed Donald Trump's approval rating between 37% and 38.3%, including RealClearPolitics at 38.3%, the New York Times at 37%, and Silver Bulletin at 37.1%
- ▪National polls in late September 2026 showed Donald Trump's approval rating below 40%, including AP-NORC at 31%, Quinnipiac University at 34%, and CBS News/YouGov at 39%
Declining support among Republican voters
- ▪Republican overall satisfaction with the state of the nation dropped to 39% in October 2026, down from 65% at the start of Donald Trump's second term in 2025
- ▪Among Donald Trump's 2024 voters aged 19 to 34, job performance approval stood at 49% in October 2026, compared with 76% among his 2024 voters aged 50 and older
- ▪Job performance approval among Donald Trump's 2024 voters dropped to between 67% and 69% in October 2026, down from 95% at the start of Trump's second term
Voter attitudes toward the 2026 midterms
- ▪Seventy-eight percent of Democratic supporters reported that congressional control matters in the 2026 midterms, compared with 69 percent of Republican supporters
- ▪Sixty-three percent of registered voters stated Donald Trump is a factor in their 2026 congressional vote, with twice as many voting against him as supporting him
- ▪Democrats hold an eight-point advantage over Republicans in a generic congressional ballot ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, according to the Pew Research survey
- ▪A September 26, 2026, Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 42 percent of voters had not yet firmly settled on their choice for the 2026 midterm elections
Public sentiment on national conditions and economy
- ▪Eighty-four percent of registered voters cited the economy as very important to their vote in the 2026 midterm elections, while 21 percent rated current economic conditions as excellent or good
- ▪Seventy-seven percent of Americans expressed overall dissatisfaction with the state of the nation in a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2026, while 22 percent felt satisfied
Public confidence in Trump's performance and ethics
- ▪Sixty-nine percent of Americans expressed little confidence in Donald Trump keeping his business interests separate from presidential decision-making in October 2026
- ▪Public confidence in Donald Trump's policy decisions stood at 35% for foreign policy, 35% for the economy, and 41% for immigration enforcement in October 2026
Comparisons to previous presidential approval ratings
- ▪Donald Trump's October 2026 approval rating is 8 percentage points lower than Joe Biden's 38 percent approval rating at a comparable point prior to the 2022 midterms, according to Pew's October 2022 survey
- ▪Donald Trump's October 2026 Pew Research approval rating of 30 percent is two points lower than Joe Biden's low of 32 percent in July 2024 and 11 points lower than Barack Obama's low of 41 percent in late 2013
- ▪Donald Trump's 30 percent approval rating in October 2026 is one percentage point above his lowest first-term rating of 29 percent recorded on January 12, 2021
Iran war and foreign policy
- ▪Ongoing military conflict with Iran and tariffs against Canada have contributed to inflation and rising gas prices, prompting some Republican lawmakers to distance themselves from Donald Trump
- ▪Donald Trump stated on October 8, 2026, that the United States military would not launch strikes against Iran before the midterm elections
Debatable claims
- ▪The ongoing military conflict with Iran is justified by U.S. national security interests
- ▪Trump's low approval rating reflects widespread public dissatisfaction with his policy decisions
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