Third Poll in Three Days Produces a Record Low for Donald Trump – U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has once again reached a record low.
For the third time in as many days, a poll has shown the President’s popularity at its lowest in any comparable survey by the same organization.
Donald Trump In New York City White House Photo
The national poll solidifies any doubt about a double anomaly less than a fortnight before the midterm elections.
A New Poll from the New York Times
In a New York Times/Siena poll released on Wednesday, 21st October, just 36% of likely voters approved of Trump’s performance in office. That compared to 59% who said they disapproved, marking the Republican’s lowest approval rating of any NYT/Siena poll over either of his two terms.
More than two-thirds of independent voters disapproved of how Trump has handled his presidency, with likely voters leaning toward their Democratic candidate by 11 percentage points in the final NYT/Siena poll before next month’s midterm elections.
Economic Issues
The GOP faces a bleak picture as it vies to retain control of Congress.
Although the economy will be a key factor in how millions of Americans cast their ballots, three-quarters of voters rate the current economic situation as fair or poor.
According to the poll, many blame Trump for the economic decline, with 69% disapproving of his handling of the cost of living. 65% also disapprove of his handling of the conflict with Iran, while nearly three-quarters say they disapprove of his handling of gas prices, which have remained high ever since the Iran war began in February.
The GOP is losing its core supporters as a result, with men, young adults and Hispanic voters increasingly gravitating to the Democrats. One Republican who lost his job in June said he backed Trump in 2024 but would vote Democrat next month.
Donald Trump Back in 2025 White House Photo
“I’m very disillusioned with the Republican Party and how they can continue to support Trump,” said 62-year-old Paul Gettings of California. “He’s turned into a politician just like the rest of them, and it’s a lot of empty promises.”
Democrat Standing Improving
Democrats’ perception has improved since 2024. According to the NYT/Siena poll, the Democratic Party is more widely seen as understanding Americans’ problems, representing the working class, fixing the problems voters face, and keeping its promises.
The Democratic Party is performing better than the GOP under key metrics. Of the 3,494 likely voters surveyed, the Democrats were more trusted to handle health care (57-37%), the cost of living (55-40%), gas prices (53-39%), foreign wars (51-41%), the economy (51-43%), immigration (50-46%), corruption (50-39%), and artificial intelligence (48-37%).
Despite improved standing among a majority of voters, lingering frustrations remain within the party.
Only 28% of voters said they were satisfied with the Democratic Party, eight percentage points lower than those who said the same about the GOP. Democratic voters themselves expressed much of the frustration, with 43% saying they were unhappy with their party. Only 16% of Republicans said the same about the GOP.
A Continuing Trend
The latest poll continues a trend for President Trump and the Republican Party. On Monday, a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll found the President’s approval at 33%, with 66% of Americans disapproving of his performance in office. More than half (52%) strongly disapproved of the President’s tenure so far. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released 24 hours later cast an even grimmer outlook for the GOP, with only 31% of Americans approving of the President’s performance in office.
Part of the problem for President Trump is his own unpopularity. In a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll asking whether voters would prefer an opposing Democratic-led Congress or a Trump-supporting Republican one, registered voters strongly favored the former, 58% to 39%. Likewise, in the Reuters/Ipsos survey, 47% of respondents said they intended to vote for the Democrats, compared with 35% who said they would vote for the Republican Party.
The NYT/Siena poll was conducted from Monday, 12th October, to Monday, 19th October. The survey was conducted with 3,494 voters via telephone, and has a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
