Trump's approval drops among Republicans ahead of midterms, new poll shows

Sep 5, 2026

An NBC News survey from August 20 to September 1, 2026, reveals a decline in Donald Trump's approval ratings, hitting a record low of 36% overall. Crucially, his strong approval among Republican voters dropped from 52% in the spring to 41%, signaling a shift in GOP sentiment ahead of the 2026 midterms. Despite these numbers, Trump remains publicly optimistic about his party's prospects, even as some Republican candidates like Mike Beltran tone down their online associations with him.

Trump approval rating decline

▪An NBC News Decision Desk survey conducted from August 20 to September 1, 2026, found Donald Trump's overall approval rating at 36%, marking a record low for his term in NBC polling
▪A Reuters poll released in August 2026 showed Donald Trump's overall approval rating at 33%

Republican voter sentiment shift

▪In the NBC News Decision Desk survey from August 20 to September 1, 2026, 41% of Republicans strongly approved of Donald Trump's performance, down from 52% in March and April 2026
▪An NBC News Decision Desk survey conducted from August 20 to September 1, 2026, found a near 10 percentage point drop among Republicans who strongly approve of Donald Trump's job performance

Midterm election outlook

▪Donald Trump expressed optimism about the Republican Party's 2026 midterm performance during an August 30, 2026, appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Night In America With Trey Gowdy."
▪The NBC News Decision Desk survey of 7,105 adults online was conducted from August 20 to September 1, 2026, with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points

GOP campaign strategy adjustments

▪Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to address the first Republican midterm convention in recent history in Dallas to galvanize voters before the 2026 midterm elections
▪Republican congressional candidate Mike Beltran, running against Representative Kathy Castor in Florida, removed references to being inspired by Donald Trump from his campaign website