Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 36% approval and 64% disapproval in an -NORC poll conducted October 8-12, 2026. The survey of 1,119 adults puts his standing underwater as voters head toward the 2026 midterms and weigh the economy and cost of living most heavily.
-NORC poll numbers
The poll found 85% of voters said the economy was one of the most important issues when considering their vote, and 84% said the same about the cost of living. Trump drew 74% disapproval on the economy and 79% disapproval on the cost of living, leaving those two issues well below his 36% overall approval.
For JD Vance and other Republicans, the numbers show the same electorate is judging the White House on everyday expenses first, then folding that judgment into a broader view of U.S. politics. The poll also found about two-thirds of voters were pessimistic about the state of politics in the country.
Congress numbers
That pessimism carried into the congressional preference numbers. Forty-seven percent of voters favored Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while 46% favored Democratic control of the Senate.
Those margins are narrow, but they still place control of both chambers within reach of either party in the 2026 midterms. Voters are not separating their view of Trump from the way they want power distributed in Congress.
Crime was one area that cut against the wider pattern. Forty-five percent approved of Trump’s handling of crime, a stronger mark than his overall rating and higher than his numbers on the economy and cost of living.
Ahead of the 2026 midterms
That split leaves Trump with a clear problem heading into the 2026 midterms: voters are most focused on the issues where he fares worst. The poll does not explain what specifically drove his rating to this new low, but it shows the economy and cost of living are doing more to shape opinion than any single campaign message.
