Democrats Take Narrow Lead Before 2026 Midterms as Trump Disapproval Rises: Poll

International

oi-Ashish Rana

Democrats
appear
to
be
gaining
early
traction
ahead
of
the
2026
midterm
elections,
as
a
new
CNN
poll
indicates
a
modest
but
notable
shift
in
voter
sentiment
against
President
Donald
Trump
and
his
party.

While
the
margin
is
narrower
than
past
midterm
cycles,
the
findings
suggest
growing
dissatisfaction
with
the
direction
of
the
country
and
renewed
energy
among
Democratic
voters.

Democrats
take
slim
lead
on
generic
ballot

According
to
the
CNN
survey
conducted
by
SSRS,
Democrats
currently
hold
a
five-point
advantage
on
the
generic
congressional
ballot.
About
47
percent
of
registered
voters
say
they
would
support
the
Democratic
candidate
in
their
district,
compared
with
42
percent
who
favour
the
Republican
option.

Though
smaller
than
the
Democrats’
double-digit
edge
at
a
similar
point
before
the
2018
midterms,
the
lead
reflects
a
favourable
environment
for
the
party
as
concerns
about
governance,
democracy
and
the
economy
intensify.

Trump
approval
sinks
as
discontent
grows

President
Trump’s
approval
rating
has
fallen
to
37
percent,
marking
the
lowest
level
of
his
second
term
and
equalling
the
weakest
point
of
his
first
presidency.
His
disapproval
rating
now
stands
at
63
percent,
the
highest
across
both
terms.

While
CNN’s
polling
places
his
approval
slightly
higher
at
41
percent,
both
figures
underline
a
steady
erosion
of
support
across
partisan
lines
and
demographic
groups
since
mid-2025.
Public
frustration
extends
to
major
national
issues,
with
68
percent
saying
things
in
the
United
States
are
going
badly
and
72
percent
describing
the
economy
as
poor.
A
majority,
61
percent,
believe
Trump’s
policies
have
worsened
economic
conditions.

Voter
motivation
tilts
towards
Democrats

Democratic
voters
appear
far
more
energised
heading
into
2026.
Nearly
67
percent
of
Democrats
and
Democratic-leaning
independents
say
they
are
“extremely
motivated” to
vote,
compared
with
46
percent
among
Republican-aligned
voters.

Motivation
is
strongest
among
those
worried
about
the
“state
of
democracy”.
About
82
percent
of
voters
who
prioritise
this
issue
report
high
enthusiasm
to
turn
out,
well
above
the
57
percent
of
those
who
consider
the
economy
their
top
concern.
Overall,
26
percent
of
Americans
now
identify
the
state
of
democracy
as
the
most
important
issue
facing
the
country,
rising
to
45
percent
among
Democrats.

Party
loyalty
holds
despite
internal
frustration

Despite
weaker
overall
favourability
ratings,
Democrats
appear
to
be
consolidating
support.
Only
65
percent
of
Democratic-aligned
voters
view
their
party
positively,
compared
with
80
percent
of
Republicans
who
have
a
favourable
opinion
of
the
GOP.
Even
so,
loyalty
remains
strong.
Among
Democrats
who
hold
an
unfavourable
view
of
their
own
party,
93
percent
still
plan
to
vote
for
the
Democratic
candidate,
and
71
percent
say
they
are
highly
motivated
to
participate.

The
poll
also
highlights
dissatisfaction
with
Trump’s
governance
style.
Around
61
percent
believe
he
has
overused
presidential
power,
a
nine-point
increase
since
February.
His
handling
of
a
recent
government
shutdown
is
viewed
negatively
by
61
percent,
while
81
percent
consider
the
shutdown
a
major
problem
or
crisis.
More
than
half
of
respondents
say
his
foreign
policy
has
damaged
America’s
global
standing,
and
57
percent
think
he
has
gone
too
far
on
deportations
of
undocumented
immigrants.

Congress
is
not
immune
from
criticism
either.
About
55
percent
of
Americans
believe
Republicans
in
Congress
are
doing
too
much
to
support
Trump,
up
from
48
percent
earlier
in
the
year,
although
63
percent
of
GOP
voters
say
their
party’s
stance
is
“about
right”.
On
the
Democratic
side,
69
percent
of
party-aligned
voters
feel
their
lawmakers
are
not
doing
enough
to
oppose
the
president.

The
CNN-SSRS
poll
was
conducted
between
October
27
and
30,
2025,
surveying
1,245
adults,
including
954
registered
voters,
through
online
and
telephone
interviews.
The
margin
of
sampling
error
is
plus
or
minus
3.1
percentage
points
for
all
adults
and
3.6
points
for
registered
voters.