Trump Approval Falls to 36% in New York Times/Siena Poll Two Weeks Before Midterms
President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 36%, according to a New York Times and Siena College poll published on October 21, 2026, about two weeks before the midterm elections. The Guardian reported that this is the lowest figure the poll has recorded. The midterms are the national elections held halfway through a president's term, when voters choose the whole House of Representatives and a third of the Senate.
The survey, which the Times conducted from October 12 to 19, drew responses from 3,494 likely voters. Of those, 59% said they disapproved of how Trump is handling his job. Among registered voters, approval stood at 34%, and among likely voters it was 36%, down three points from the paper's September poll. Siena Research Institute said voters also disapproved of his performance on immigration and on the war in Iran.
The poll's sharpest criticism centred on the economy. According to the Guardian, 73% of registered voters disapproved of his handling of gas prices, 69% disapproved of his handling of the cost of living, and 64% disapproved of his handling of the economy. Gas in the United States was then more than $4.25 a gallon, and inflation, the rate at which prices rise, had reached 3.7% the previous month.
On the war in Iran, which had lasted nearly eight months by October, about 65% of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of the conflict.
Voting intentions also favoured the Democrats. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they planned to vote for the Democratic candidate in the midterm race. The Times reported that Democrats were gaining ground with men, while more than 80% of Republicans still approved of Trump's job performance.
Siena Research Institute summarised its national results as showing Democrats leading in the national sample for both House and Senate races, with Trump's ratings underwater on every major issue it measured, particularly the cost of living.
