A new poll CNBC released on Thursday, October 22, only reinforces the perception that an unmitigated electoral disaster is coming for the Republican Party this Midterm election cycle.
The election is just 13 days away.
Donald Trump speaking to supporters at an immigration policy speech at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. By Gage Skidmore.
President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. Vice President JD Vance attends. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)
Multiple states have already started mail-in balloting.
No poll indicates the GOP will do well.
Most already assume the House of Representatives will go to the Democrats, and there are real fears the Senate will shift, however slightly, to the Democrats, too.
The recent CNBC All-America Economic Survey determined that only 34 percent of registered voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.
That’s down from 38 percent in July.
On the flip side, an overwhelming 65 percent of voters disapprove of the president’s economic management.
That’s up 60 percent from just three months earlier.
Massive Declines
In fact, the poll shows Trump has a net economic approval rating of negative 31 percentage points.
That number is a nine-point decline since July and his worst ranking in either term.
Let’s go one more and note that the president’s economic disapproval rating of 65 percent is the highest recorded for any president in CNBC’s polling series, which goes back to the Obama administration.
According to that CNBC poll, we can officially say that Trump’s economic ratings are worse than former President Joe Biden’s ratings in the same poll.
One of the most serious changes occurred among Republican voters–and that’s the part that should have every GOP operative running for the hills.
Thirty-five percent of Republicans now express pessimism about the economy, up six percentage points since July.
That’s the highest level recorded during either of Trump’s non-consecutive terms.
In July, Republicans still held a positive (albeit narrow) view of the president’s economic management.
Three months later, even that margin is gone.
He might not be losing Republicans. He’s certainly dispiriting them.
And that demoralization is happening at a time when Democratic Party registration is at serious highs, and momentum appears to be on the Democratic Party’s side.
Eight out of ten Americans believe their economic conditions are poor.
That’s the largest share of voters with that sentiment since December 2023.
And it is all clearly being compounded by the inflation rate and cost of living–all of which are being elevated by the unpopular war in Iran that President Donald Trump chose to initiate on February 28.
Indeed, 80 percent of respondents worry that goods prices are increasing.
Another 55 percent say the cost of food, gasoline, and housing is their greatest concern as they head to the polls.
Lower-income Americans were especially emphatic about their concerns. People making $30,000 or less annually said food prices were their greatest worry.
Democrats Surging
Today, the Democrats hold a 16-point advantage over Republicans.
That’s up a staggering seven points from July. Similarly, most voters polled believe that Democrats lead Republicans on gasoline prices, jobs, and unemployment.
72 percent of Democrats have expressed strong interest in voting this Midterm season, while only 62 percent of Republicans have.
Plus, Independent voters are overwhelmingly pro Democratic this election cycle, while women report a higher election interest than men by ten percentage points.
These voters favor Democratic congressional control by a massive 22-point margin.
Then there’s Trump’s war with Iran.
Only 35 percent of those polled believe the US military action was worthwhile (given the constant rise in gas prices).
Democrats gained an advantage on handling Iran, moving from a two-point Republican advantage in July to a five-point Democratic advantage in October.
An End of an Error?
These CNBC survey findings align with many other polls showing Republicans are losing support everywhere.
Their own voters are demoralized, and many won’t vote.
The Democrats are galvanized like they haven’t been in a decade.
At the recent Republican Midterm convention, President Trump urged audiences to vote as if he were on the top of the ticket.
With his support tanking and the GOP collapsing in the polls just 13 days before the election, many voters will do just that.
But Trump might not like the result.
The CNBC poll included 1,000 registered voters nationwide. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is the Senior National Security Editor. He also manages The Weichert Brief on Substack. Weichert is the co-host for The Mario Nawfal Show on Twitter/X. He is the author of four bestselling national security books, most recently A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine (Encounter Books). His next book, Fortress Americas: A New Monroe Doctrine (Tucker Carlson Books), is due out December 8. Follow him via Twitter/X @WeTheBrandon.
