The midterm elections in the United States are just three weeks away, and new polling shows President Donald Trump has little time left to improve his flagging approval ratings, especially on the economy. And something strange is happening with Trump — he doesn’t seem to grasp the reality of the hole he is in.
Donald Trump Can’t Seem to Grasp the Trouble He Is In on Midterms
President Donald J. Trump meets with hero-lifeguard Ryder Williams, 16, and Nathaniel Nai, 10, and their families and Santa Cruz officials in the Oval Office, Monday, August, 17, 2026. Williams rescued Nai from rough surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California on July 25, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on American nuclear innovation, Friday, July 24, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
According to a new Financial Times poll, conducted along with FocalData, around 25 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of jobs and the economy, while around 20 percent approve of how the president has handled inflation. Also, over two-thirds of the poll respondents say the economy is going in the wrong direction.
And it’s not just the economy, either. The FT poll found that majorities of voters oppose the president’s conduct in the Iran War and his approach to artificial intelligence policy. Less than a quarter of registered voters approve of Trump’s conduct in the Iran War, where two-thirds of voters say they support reaching an agreement “as soon as possible.”
On AI, more than two-thirds of voters say they support “binding federal rules for AI companies” and “a more cautious pace of development,” which runs against Trump’s position of not standing in the way of AI companies’ work.
As for Trump’s overall approval rating, the FT poll puts it at 34 percent, below the current RealClearPolitics average, which shows Trump at 38.1 percent and disapproval at 59.5 percent. That average does not include the FT poll.
The poll also found that registered voters say they prefer Democrats over Republicans by more than five percentage points.
Is He Hurting Other Candidates?
Beyond that, per the FT poll, fewer than 70 percent of voters who voted for Trump in 2024 now support his performance, down ten points from 80 percent in May, although 80 percent of 2024 Trump voters say they plan to vote Republican in their House district.
FT cited the Cook Political Report, which recently forecast that Democrats will gain between 9 and 19 House seats, enough to take control of the chamber, and that CPR has moved 18 House seats closer to Democrats.
President Donald Trump congratulates Kayla Harrison after her victory during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ., June 7, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
In these midterm elections, in which Trump is unpopular but not on the ballot, the president has inserted himself, telling supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot and heading out on the trail to support candidates in congressional and gubernatorial races.
Per The Hill, various scandals involving people in Trump’s orbit, including the controversy over Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle asking a donor for money, are starting to “take up oxygen” ahead of the midterms, while Democrats are seeking to take advantage.
While Trump will likely face a Democratic House for his last two years in office, the Senate is also increasingly likely to flip control.
Trump vs. The Senate
A Washington Post analysis published this week noted that Trump has never faced a Democratic Senate majority in either of his terms as president, although Democrats controlled the Senate for all four years of Joe Biden’s presidency. But if enough seats flip next month, he’ll face exactly that.
Senate Republicans, the Post said, are “staring down the prospect” of a Democratic majority in the upper chamber and what it would mean: Probably Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), once again, as Senate Majority Leader, and much more difficulty for Trump in confirming judicial nominees or cabinet secretaries.
Trump appointed three new Supreme Court Justices in his first term, all confirmed by the Senate, but he has appointed none yet in his second; a Democratic Senate could block him from doing so if a vacancy occurs, as then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) did in 2016, when President Barack Obama tried to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. One Democratic senator, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), told the Post he would support following that precedent if a Supreme Court vacancy arose with a Democratically controlled Senate.
Trump in Deep Trouble if Democrats Sweep Congress
A Democratic majority in either house would also give them control of committees and subpoena power to investigate scandals and incidents from the first two years of Trump’s second term. Full control of Congress, the Post noted, could also put Democrats in a position to pass a legislative agenda and dare Trump to veto it, while also giving Democrats more say in the budget process than they’ve had in the last two years.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has written thousands of articles on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
