Trump approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Summary
President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 31% in Washington as Americans worried about gasoline prices ahead of the November 3 congressional elections. Democrats led Republicans 47% to 35% among registered voters on the generic congressional ballot, the widest Democratic advantage of the election cycle. The result could strengthen Democratic hopes of taking Congress, while losing either chamber could complicate Trump’s agenda.
Key Facts
- The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 68% of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, including 37% of self-identified Republicans.
- Voters rated Democrats better than Republicans on economic stewardship by 40% to 33%.
- Female voters favored Democratic congressional candidates 50% to 32%, while men also favored Democrats by a smaller margin.
- The online survey included 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters, with margins of error of 2 percentage points for all respondents and 3 points for registered voters.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, Oct. 19. AFP-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.
Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed.
Asked which party they would vote for if the congressional elections were held today in what is known as a "generic ballot" question, some 47% of registered voters in the nationwide poll picked Democrats and 35% chose Republicans. The 12-point Democratic advantage was the widest over the current election cycle and could bolster Democratic hopes of seizing control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.
For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years of his term.
Generic ballot polls are national polls that provide an overall view of which party poll respondents want to see in charge in Congress. While these polls provide a view of national public sentiment, they do not capture all the nuances of the state-by-state and district-by-district contests that determine control of the Senate and House, contests in which Republicans hold some structural advantages.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll two weeks earlier showed Democrats leading Republicans by 7 points, 44% to 37%.
Much of the drop in support for Republican congressional candidates was due to a larger share of women saying they would pick Democrats. Some 50% of female voters said they would vote Democratic, compared to 32% eyeing Republican candidates. Men also favored Democrats, but by a smaller margin.
Trump's popularity has suffered since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside US ally Israel. The war triggered a surge in gasoline prices, hitting household finances. Some 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, including 37% of self-identified Republicans.
Voters in the poll picked Democrats over Republicans as the better stewards of the economy, by 40% to 33%.
The survey, which was conducted online, gathered responses from 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters. The poll's results had a margin of error of 2 percentage points for all respondents and 3 points for registered voters.
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