Poll: Americans are anxious, pessimistic and deeply unhappy with Trump ahead of the midterms

Weeks ahead of Election Day, 71% of U.S. adults think the country is on the “wrong track.” It’s the highest share yet in President Donald Trump’s second term, illustrating the grim national mood his party faces in the midterm elections, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. Poll respondents expressed deep unhappiness over economic conditions and widespread distrust toward both major political parties, but Trump and Republicans bore the brunt. For the first time in Trump’s second term, the poll has found the “right track” sinking into the 20s. A majority of Americans view the president’s administration as uniquely corrupt, even as they look skeptically at corruption in both parties. And they say Trump is failing to improve their material financial conditions. Trump’s approval rating slipped to 34% among U.S. adults, a second-term low in this poll, while his disapproval rating rose to 66%. In another warning sign, the poll found a majority (51%) of respondents “strongly disapprove” of his performance, a second-term high. Trump’s approval rating is slightly better among registered voters, 39%-61%. Registered voters said they prefer Democrats over Republicans to control Congress by a 55%-45% spread, another sign that the GOP’s House and Senate majorities are in danger in the Nov. 3 election. Yet despite the sinking ratings for the party in power, Americans continue to hold a negative view of Democrats, too. Among adults, just 43% view the Democratic Party favorably, while 57% hold an unfavorable view. The survey found that 37% have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, while 63% view it unfavorably. The president’s approval rating is 76% with Republican adults. That represents a drop from his previous numbers among members of his own party, fueled by a decline among Republicans who consider themselves more a supporter of the party than a supporter of the MAGA movement. Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating sits at 21% with independents. Among men under 30 — a group Trump won by 1 point in 2024 exit polling — his approval rating sits at 28%. And among Latinos, who also shifted toward Trump in 2024, his approval rating is 31%. The poll highlights the tricky balancing act facing Republican candidates in competitive states and districts as they simultaneously try to energize GOP voters who continue to support Trump without alienating Americans who disapprove of the administration. Among adults, 58% said Trump’s policies are hurting the country, while 28% said they are helping the country. Another 14% said they aren’t making a difference. When broken down by issues, Trump’s approval rating is 27% on handling the cost of living, 29% on handling the war with Iran and 33% on his handling of AI. On his best issue, border security and immigration, 43% of adults approve. Economic concerns are at the center of the sour national mood, with the economy once again topping the list of most important issues at 31%. While 18% of Americans said their financial situation is better off today than a year ago, 38% said it’s about the same and 44% said it’s worse now. The results provided detail on how rising inflation, which last month rose to 3.7% year over year, has weighed on Americans’ daily lives. Gas prices were described as a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem by 67% of respondents. Majorities said economic conditions have caused them to change what groceries they buy to live within their means, and to cut back on spending to afford necessities. Pluralities also said they’ve cut back on electricity use, changed or canceled travel plans or delayed a major purchase as a result, according to the poll. Trump has sought to appeal to voters by promising $5,000 payments if Republicans win the 2026 midterms. But the new poll showed that most U.S. adults aren’t buying it: Just 14% said they “definitely” or “probably” expect to receive such a check if the GOP keeps control of Congress, while 71% think they “definitely” or “probably” won’t. Self-identified Republicans are among those who don’t appear to buy the president’s pledge, with 47% saying they don’t expect to receive the $5,000 payment Trump promised, while 28% do. Corruption also registered as a major concern, with Americans harboring skepticism about both parties. More than half (52%) of U.S. adults said in the poll that they find his administration “more corrupt” than previous administrations, while about 1 in 4 said it’s less corrupt and another 1 in 4 said the current administration is about as corrupt as predecessors. A 56% majority also said corruption is equally bad in both parties, while another 25% said it’s a bigger problem inside the GOP and 17% said it’s worse among Democrats. The dissatisfaction may be reshaping what Americans want in a politician. In another edition of this poll one year ago, Americans said by a 16-point margin they prefer an insider with the experience to get things done over an outsider who shakes up the system. That margin narrowed to 4 points in the new poll. Among Democrats, the survey also found indicators of diminishing trust in the party’s establishment and an openness to different kinds of candidates. When asked to pick one or the other, 52% of self-identified Democrats said they’re more of a supporter of progressive causes and the progressive movement, while 48% said they’re more of a supporter of the Democratic Party. Among Democratic-aligned adults, 42% said they consider themselves to be democratic socialists, while 58% said they do not. And despite Trump’s unpopularity, the country was split almost evenly on whether a potential Democratic-led House should begin impeachment proceedings: 52% said it should, while 48% said it should not go down that path. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey surveyed 19,135 adults online from Sept. 28 to Oct. 12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.