Americans saying US on ‘wrong track’ hits record high for second Trump term: Poll

A majority of Americans in a new survey believe the U.S. is on the “ wrong track ” as the midterms approach, marking a record high during President Trump’s second term.

The NBC News Decision Desk poll , using data from SurveyMonkey, found that 71 percent of respondents said the country is heading down the “wrong track.” The poll marks the first time that the “right track” response fell below 30 percent since Trump returned to the White House — with 29 percent saying the U.S. is on the “right track.”

The state of the economy also weighs on many Americans as the issue that matters most, according to 31 percent of respondents and 35 percent of independents. Eighteen percent said their financial situation is better off today than it was last year, but 44 percent say it is worse now and 38 percent say it’s about the same as it was last year.

Another issue on respondents’ minds is gas prices , with 67 percent saying the higher costs tied to the ongoing Iran war are “very serious” or “somewhat serious,” compared with 33 percent who said the price hike is “not too serious of a problem” or “not a problem at all.”

Respondents also see government corruption as a major issue plaguing the country, with 56 percent saying the concern is equal between both parties. About 25 percent said it’s a bigger issue in the Republican Party, and 17 percent say it’s worse in the Democratic Party, the survey found.

This thinking carries over to the Trump administration, where 52 percent of respondents see it as “more corrupt” than previous administrations, while 25 percent said it is less corrupt. Roughly 23 percent said the administration is just as corrupt as its predecessors, according to the data.

About 52 percent of respondents say Democrats should start impeachment proceedings against Trump if they win control of the House in November, as 48 percent say they should not.

Americans also say they don’t buy Trump’s pledge to give every adult $5,000 if Republicans keep their control of Congress, with 71 percent saying they “definitely” or “probably” do not expect to receive a check if the GOP maintains its majorities. Another 14 percent say they “definitely” or “probably” expect those checks to go out.

Polling has frequently shown Democrats likely reclaiming the House and possibly even the Senate after the November midterms, opening the likelihood of firm legislative opposition during Trump’s final two years in the White House.

The Hill’s election partner Decision Desk HQ shows a 77 percent probability that Democrats win back the House, with a narrow 56 percent probability of claiming the Senate.

The NBC Decision Desk survey was conducted Sept. 28 to Oct. 12 and included 19,135 respondents with a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.