By Ahmed Abdelsalam
President Donald Trump recorded the lowest midterm approval rating of any modern president as Democrats captured majorities in both chambers of Congress, according to exit polls and surveys released Wednesday. A CBS News exit poll placed Trump's job approval at 38 percent, down from 45 percent during his first-term midterms in 2018 and below the 44 percent registered by Joe Biden in 2022 and Barack Obama in 2010. Even George W. Bush, amid the Iraq War in 2006, held a 43 percent rating.
Voters Cite Trump Policies as Motivation
An NBC News exit poll found 43 percent of respondents said their vote against Republicans was a direct rebuke of Trump's policies. The results signaled growing weariness over his aggressive tariff strategy and continued dissatisfaction with the conflict with Iran. Democrats held surprise leads in traditionally Republican states such as Texas and Alaska on the eve of voting, despite Trump's intensive rally schedule urging voters to treat the election as a referendum on his presidency.
Economic Approval Plummets to New Low
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted before Election Day showed only 17 percent of U.S. adults approved of Trump's handling of the cost of living, while overall economic approval slipped to 26 percent — a new low. Sixty-five percent blamed Trump's policies for persistently high costs rather than external factors. A Reuters/Ipsos survey last week placed Trump's overall rating at 32 percent, with registered voters favoring Democrats on the generic congressional ballot 47 percent to 36 percent.
Inflation Concerns Drive Voter Sentiment
The congressional race turned sharply on inflation after February military strikes on Iran drove fuel prices higher. Seventy-three percent of voters said their cost of living was heading in the wrong direction. Voters now favor Democrats over Republicans as better economic stewards by 37 percent to 33 percent, while Democratic enthusiasm to vote stood at 46 percent compared with 30 percent for Republicans. Trump's economic approval has dropped 14 percentage points since March 2025, a significant departure from his first term when the economy was a strength.
Disappointment Spreads Among Republican Voters
About seven in 10 Americans say Trump's handling of the cost of living has been "worse than expected," including roughly half of Republicans. Voters interviewed across multiple states expressed frustration over rising grocery and gas prices. "Prices are extremely exorbitant," said Pedro Sanchez, 52, a law enforcement worker from California who voted for Trump. "I used to have a lot more disposable income. I don't have that anymore." Small-business owners and Republican-leaning voters in Iowa and Mississippi echoed similar concerns, citing disappointment that promised relief has not materialized.
