Trump approval at record lows in three polls two weeks before US midterm elections

Three national polls published between 19 and 21 October put President Donald Trump's approval rating at or near the lowest level recorded by each pollster, with about two weeks left before the midterm elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 31% approval, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll showed 33%, and a New York Times/Siena poll showed 36% among likely voters. [ 1 , 2 , 7 , 10 , 11 ]

The Hill reported that the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll was 4 points lower than a July poll and 8 points lower than at this point last year. It said roughly 66% disapprove of his job performance, including 52% who strongly disapprove. Among likely voters, 52% backed Democrats and 44% Republicans; among registered voters the figures were 50% and 42%. The Hill also reported that 48% of voters said they are financially worse off than when Trump returned to the White House, the highest percentage the polling partners have seen since 1986. [ 1 ]

The Hill reported that the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed the 31% approval rating, down 1 point from the previous poll two weeks earlier. Reuters headlines in Spanish, Portuguese and French also reported the 31% figure, and the Portuguese and French headlines described it as the lowest on record. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]

The New York Times/Siena poll found that 36% of likely voters approved of Trump's performance and 59% disapproved, his lowest approval in any Times/Siena poll. The Seattle Times and Boston Globe said more than two-thirds of independents disapproved and that likely voters preferred Democratic candidates by 11 points in their congressional districts, a slight improvement for Democrats since last month. The Guardian put the poll at about 3,494 likely voters, and Newsweek said it surveyed voters from 12 to 19 October. [ 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]

Disapproval was tied to the economy and prices. Three-quarters rated the economy as fair or poor, 69% disapproved of his handling of the cost of living, and 65% disapproved of his handling of the war in Iran. Nearly three-quarters disapproved of his handling of gas prices, which the Seattle Times said are above $4 a gallon. Newsweek said 77% of independents, 42% of Republicans and 43% of people who voted for Trump in 2024 disapproved on gas prices. The Guardian said the Iran war has dragged on for nearly eight months. [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]

Newsweek quoted Nate Cohn, the Times' chief political analyst, as writing that the figure is the lowest approval rating for any president heading into the midterms since Harry Truman in 1946. The White House dismissed the findings in a statement to Newsweek. Spokesperson Davis Ingle defended Trump's record, citing tax cuts, lower prescription drug costs, border security and job growth. [ 13 ]

On PBS NewsHour, NPR's Tamara Keith said Trump had promised in September to visit 35 competitive districts. Her analysis of his travel since then found he had gone to fewer than a third of them, and had instead visited very red states and districts. [ 5 ]