Politics · October 21, 2026
Likely voters prefer Democrats to Republicans in latest poll ahead of midterms as Trump’s popularity continues to sink – live
A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted two weeks before the midterm elections shows Donald Trump's approval rating at a new survey low of 36 percent. The poll also indicates that likely voters favor Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by an 11-point margin. Factors cited for voter frustration include the cost of living, gas prices, and a conflict in Iran.
Read the original coverage
- The GuardianMBFC: Left-Center
Democrats have 11-point lead among likely voters as Trump’s approval rating craters – live
Read at The Guardian ↗ Trump Approval Hits New Low Two Weeks Before Midterms, Poll Finds
Read at The New York Times ↗- ReasonMBFC: Right-Center
New lows
Read at Reason ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Donald Trump's approval rating is at 36 percent among likely voters in the NYT/Siena poll.
- 59 percent of likely voters disapprove of Donald Trump's performance.
- Likely voters favor Democratic candidates over Republicans by 11 percentage points.
- The polling occurred approximately two weeks before the midterm elections.
Reported by only some outlets
- Voters cited the cost of living, gas prices, and the war in Iran as primary sources of frustration with the administration.
- Public perception of Democrats as the 'party of the working class' rose to 53 percent, while it fell to 40 percent for Republicans.
- The 36 percent approval rating is the lowest ever recorded for Trump in the history of the NYT/Siena poll.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
highlight the eroding support for Republicans among working-class voters and emphasize the 'cratering' nature of Trump's popularity.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
focus on specific policy failures such as inflation and foreign conflict as the drivers of low approval ratings.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
About these outlets
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