Democrats gain ground ahead of midterms: Trump’s approval rating falls to 36%

When asked which party they would vote for in the midterm elections, 47% of respondents chose Democrats, compared with 35% who backed Republicans. In the 35 states holding US Senate races, Democrats held a five-point advantage over Republicans, the survey found. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. Trump approval rating and economic concerns Trump's approval rating stood at 36%, 59% disapproved of his performance.

Voters gave him particularly low marks on economic issues, with 69% disapproving of his handling of the cost of living and 73% disapproving of his handling of gas prices. The survey also found that voters disapproved of Trump's handling of immigration, tariffs and the war in Iran. Nearly two-thirds disapproved of his handling of the conflict, which has contributed to rising energy costs, with the national average price of gasoline rising above $4 per gallon.

Economic concerns dominated the poll. About 22% of respondents identified the economy, including jobs and the stock market, as the country's most important problem. Inflation and the cost of living ranked second at 11%, followed by immigration at 10%. Among Republicans, however, 82% approved of Trump's performance and his signature policies, including tariffs and the war in Iran. Democrats lead on key issues The survey found dissatisfaction with both major political parties, although respondents viewed Democrats as better equipped to handle several key issues.

Don Levy, executive director of the Siena Research Institute, said Democrats held advantages ranging from eight to 20 percentage points on issues including the economy, cost of living, gas prices, health care, corruption, foreign wars and artificial intelligence. Levy said, “Still, majorities think both parties are focused more on the wrong rather than the right things.” Democrats have focused their campaigns on the cost of living, arguing that the administration's policies, including tariffs and the war in Iran, have failed to ease financial pressures on households.

Trump steps up campaign schedule Trump has responded to the electoral challenges with an active campaign schedule, travelling across the country to rally Republican voters and support candidates in competitive races. In recent days, he has campaigned in Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Georgia, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina. In early September, Trump said he planned to visit 35 battleground locations before Election Day.

“I'm going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we're going to see if we can get everyone elected,” Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden. “We're going to really work hard.” He is scheduled to campaign in South Carolina on Wednesday and Iowa on Thursday, followed by Florida, Georgia and Michigan later in the week. Some Republicans in competitive races have sought to distance themselves from Trump, particularly on economic issues, over concerns that voter frustration with his policies could affect their campaigns.

The election will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress during the second half of Trump's term or Democrats gain the power to block his legislative agenda and increase congressional scrutiny of his administration. 5 billion impact of Indian-American businesses revealed ahead of Rubio talks in Mumbai Other polls show low approval ratings Other surveys have also recorded low approval ratings for Trump, although the figures vary across pollsters and survey periods.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey of 1,679 US adults found Trump's approval rating at 32%, one percentage point above its previous record low of 31%, while his disapproval rating rose by one point to 66%. The survey had a margin of error of two percentage points. An earlier Reuters/Ipsos poll published on October 5 found that 44% of registered voters planned to vote for Democrats in the midterm elections, compared with 37% who planned to vote for Republicans.

Another 13% remained undecided. The poll also found that 52% of respondents considered the cost of living the most important issue ahead of the November elections, including 53% of Republicans and 49% of Democrats. A CBS/YouGov poll conducted between September 30 and October 2 found Trump's approval rating at 39%, while 61% disapproved. The survey covered 2,166 US adults and had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

The same poll found that 53% of respondents preferred a midterm candidate who would restrict artificial intelligence use and development, while 22% preferred a candidate who would promote it. Another 25% said the issue would not affect their choice. Among those who preferred restrictions, 72% said they would vote for a Democrat and 27% said they would vote Republican. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 2,140 US adults, conducted between September 24 and 28, found Trump's approval rating on the economy at 26%.

Only 17% approved of his handling of the cost of living, while 65% blamed Trump for persistently high costs. The survey had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.