A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, October 19, 2026, indicated that President Donald Trump’s approval rating has reached 31%, the lowest level recorded during either of his terms in office. The four-day survey closed as registered voters expressed a preference for Democratic candidates over Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.
The results follow a period of increased gasoline prices, which the poll suggests is a primary concern for Americans. The drop in support occurs eight months after President Trump ordered military strikes on Iran in February 2026 alongside Israel, an event the poll linked to rising fuel costs and subsequent impacts on household finances.
According to the poll of 1,679 U.S. adults, 68% of respondents disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, a figure that includes 37% of self-identified Republicans. When asked which party would better manage the economy, 40% of voters selected Democrats, while 33% selected Republicans. The 31% approval rating marks a one-percentage-point decline from a similar poll conducted two weeks earlier.
In response to a "generic ballot" question regarding the upcoming congressional elections, 47% of registered voters stated they would vote for Democrats, compared to 35% for Republicans. This 12-point margin is the widest of the current election cycle. The data showed a shift among female voters, with 50% favoring Democrats and 32% favoring Republicans, while men also favored Democratic candidates by a smaller, unspecified margin.
The scale of the shift is most visible in the 12-point gap on the generic congressional ballot, a five-point increase from the 7-point lead Democrats held two weeks prior. This change suggests that Republican incumbents and candidates in all 435 House districts and approximately one-third of Senate seats face a shifting electoral environment as the November 3 deadline approaches. If these national trends translate to local results, the Republican Party could lose its majority in one or both chambers of Congress, which would directly affect the president's ability to pass legislation or confirm appointees during the final two years of his term.
What happens next depends on the November 3, 2026, election results. While national polls provide a snapshot of public sentiment, they do not account for district-level nuances or the structural advantages Republicans may hold in specific contests. Voters will determine the final composition of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on election day. The Reuters/Ipsos poll had a margin of error of 2 percentage points for all adults and 3 percentage points for registered voters.