Poll Finds Voters Have Record Low Trust in Republicans on Top Issues

Voters have record low trust in Republicans' ability to handle their top issues, such as immigration and rising prices, according to a poll shared with NPR on October 21, 2026. The poll was conducted by Strength In Numbers and Verasight.

The survey included 2,028 respondents and was conducted October 13 to 19, 2026. Its margin of sampling error, which measures how far results may differ from the full population, is 2.2 percentage points.

Asked which party they would prefer to elect to Congress, voters chose a Democrat over a Republican 52% to 41% among registered voters. Among likely voters, the split was 54% to 42%.

Thirty-four percent approved of President Donald Trump's job performance, and 62% disapproved. Half of respondents said they strongly disapprove. Approval was near record lows for his second term.

Views on immigration have shifted since the pollster last measured them. In May 2025, voters trusted Republicans over Democrats on immigration and deportations by an average of 15 points. By October 2026, voters trusted Democrats by one point on those issues.

On each respondent's personal top issue, voters trust Democrats over Republicans 47% to 35%. That is the widest gap the poll has measured, and it is nearly 10 points wider than in May 2025.

Prices and inflation also ranked high. Sixty-three percent of adults named them among the top three most important problems facing the country, and 39% listed them first.

Asked which matters more, 58% said electing a Congress to act as a check on Trump. Another 25% said electing a Congress that would help him pass his agenda. Among independents, 49% chose a check on Trump, 7% chose help for his agenda and 44% were unsure.

Nearly one in 10 respondents who said they voted in the 2024 presidential race said they regretted their choice. That group included almost 15% of self-described Trump voters and 15% of third-party voters.

Trump's ratings hit new lows on seven of the 10 issues the poll has tracked since May 2025. He is underwater on every issue polled, meaning more people disapprove of his handling of each one than approve. G. Elliott Morris, who writes the Strength In Numbers newsletter, is also CEO of the polling company Wave Polling and Research.

For wider context, Reuters reported on October 20, 2026 that Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of each chamber of Congress. A CNN poll reported October 21 found 41% of voters said the country would be better off if Democrats win in November, 37% said it would be worse off and 22% said it would make no difference.