Trump’s approval hit a record-low 33% in a new poll. Democrats lead the House vote by 8 points.
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33%, the lowest in the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll for either of his terms, just over two weeks before the midterm elections. About two-thirds of Americans, 66%, disapprove of his job performance, a record high in the poll, and 52% strongly disapprove.
Likely voters say they would back the Democratic candidate over the Republican in their congressional district by 52% to 44%. Among registered voters, Democrats lead 50% to 42%, up from a 3-point margin in a July Post-Ipsos poll. Independent likely voters favor Democrats 56% to 35%. Democrats also show more enthusiasm, with 72% saying they are certain to vote, compared with 65% of Republicans. The poll’s authors noted that the generic House ballot is only a barometer, since control of the House is decided district by district. They said a fall 2018 poll gave Democrats an 11-point lead among registered voters before the party won the House, while a fall 2022 poll found voters nearly split before Republicans won Congress.
Economic discontent is a main driver. About 71% of Americans call gasoline unaffordable, up from 28% in February, before the war in Iran raised fuel costs. The national average gas price has topped $4 a gallon for a record 158 days this year. Half or more call every household purchase category in the poll unaffordable, 75% rate the economy negatively and 72% say the country is on the wrong track. About 48% say they are not as well off as when Trump took office, the highest share across both of his terms. Trump’s approval stands at 21% on the cost of living, 23% on inflation and 28% on the economy overall, a record low for the economy.
Trump’s approval on Iran is 27%, with 70% disapproving, and 65% say the use of military force against Iran was a mistake. His highest rating is on immigration, at 38%. Only 22% of independents approve of Trump, a record low across both terms. Among Republicans, 79% approve, but just 39% strongly approve, down from 63% in February 2025. Among registered voters, his approval is 37%.
Voters also view the parties unfavorably, though the Republican Party fares worse. The Democratic Party is viewed favorably by 44% and unfavorably by 54%, compared with 35% and 63% for the Republican Party. By 59% to 35%, Americans prefer that Democrats control the next Congress as a check on Trump rather than Republicans controlling it to support his agenda. The poll was conducted Oct. 9-13 among 2,545 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points. The margin is 2.2 points among registered and likely voters.
Information for this report was provided by ABC News, The Washington Post and Ipsos.