Trump Approval Hits Record Low 33 Percent as Midterms Near, Poll Finds
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33 percent, a record low in the long running Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos poll, with just 16 days left before voters decide control of Congress on November 3.
Cost of living drives the slide
The poll, conducted Oct 9 to 13 among 2,545 U.S. adults with a margin of error of two percentage points, found Trump’s approval on the cost of living at 21 percent, on inflation at 23 percent, and on the economy overall at 28 percent, the lowest economy marks he has recorded in the survey series, according to reports summarizing the poll. Gas prices above $4 a gallon have persisted for a record 158 days this year.
Independents have broken sharply: only 22 percent approve, a record low across both of Trump’s terms, while 76 percent disapprove. Among Republicans, 79 percent approve, but just 39 percent strongly approve, down from 63 percent in February 2025. A separate Fox News poll put Trump’s approval at 36 percent, his lowest ever in that network’s polling, confirming the slide is real across pollsters.
For the first time since 2014, Democrats lead Republicans on trust to handle the economy in the Post-ABC polling, 40 to 33 percent. By 59 to 35 percent, Americans say they prefer Democrats to control the next Congress as a check on Trump rather than Republicans controlling it to support his agenda.
What the numbers mean for November 3
Midterm elections are historically hard for the party holding the White House, and Democrats netted 41 House seats in the 2018 midterms during Trump’s first term. This cycle, an eight point House generic ballot lead for Democrats would redraw expectations if it holds through Election Day. The numbers land during a bruising stretch for the administration, whose foreign policy moves have already drawn public scrutiny.
The White House is under pressure to show progress on prices, and it has shown it can change course under pressure, from reversing a planned livestream of a military execution to seeking sanctions relief aimed at lowering fuel costs. Vice President JD Vance has publicly acknowledged that gas prices are too high. With 71 percent of Americans doubting Trump would deliver a proposed $5,000 dividend check, the poll suggests the economy will decide this midterm.
