Trump's approval hits historic low of 34.6% ahead of midterms
FiftyPlusOne polling shows the president more unpopular than any predecessor before a midterm election.
What to know
- Trump's 34.6% approval is the lowest of any president entering a midterm election—worse than George W. Bush in 2006 or Jimmy Carter at comparable points in their terms.
- His net approval of −28 has nearly doubled from −13 at the same point in his first term, driven partly by a U.S. war in Iran and summer 2026 events.
- Republicans face an 8-point deficit in the House generic ballot, matching the party's losses in the 2018 blue wave that cost them 41 seats.
“Trump's problem, simply put, is that he is the most unpopular president ever to hold office at this point before a midterm election”
G. Elliott Morris, Polling analyst, FiftyPlusOne · FiftyPlusOne ↗ · Sep 23
President Donald Trump U.S. PresidentG. Elliott Morris Polling analyst, FiftyPlusOneFiftyPlusOne Polling firm
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AnalysisTrump's net approval twice as low as 2018, approaching Nixon-era levels
Polling analyst G. Elliott Morris notes Trump's current net approval of −28 is nearly double the −13 deficit at the same point in his first term. Public mood is approaching levels seen during Watergate. Trump's rating is worse than George W. Bush's on the eve of 2006—a midterm that cost Republicans both chambers of Congress.
“Trump's net approval is twice as low as it was at this point in 2018…”
— G. Elliott Morris -
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No president has ever gone into a midterm election as unpopular as Trump is today. Not even George W. Bush in 2006. Trump's net approval is twice as low as it was at this point in 2018. blog.
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background
Trump approval falls to 34.6%, worst of any president pre-midterm — FiftyPlusOne polling average shows Trump at 34.6% approval and 62.3% disapproval as of September 23. Seven polling firms—CNN/SSRS, Ipsos, NBC News, Strength In Numbers/Verasight, Quantus Insights, Echelon Insights, and American Research Group—recorded new second-term lows. Republican generic ballot deficit has widened to 7.6 points, rivaling 2018's blue wave.
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background
Trump urges supporters to treat midterms as if he were on ballot — President Trump holds a first-of-its-kind midterms convention and asks supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" ahead of the 2026 elections.