Early Exit Polls Show Trump on Track for Low Midterm Approval
Early exit polls from the 2026 midterm elections found President Donald Trump on track for the lowest approval rating for a president in a midterm election, according to CBS News.
Economic concerns stood out in the voting. CNN exit polls found that three-quarters of voters said economic conditions are bad. Reuters reported that the results underscored voters' deep frustration with Trump's handling of the economy.
Reuters also reported that voters punished Trump for rising prices and tariff policies. NPR reported that voters did not agree with Trump's assessment of the state of the economy.
The pattern was visible before Election Day. An NPR poll found that 44% of voters said their midterm vote would be a check on Trump rather than a vote for him. In early October, Trump's approval averaged 37% across polls, according to NPR. A later NPR report, from Oct. 21, put his approval at 34%, with 62% disapproving. Those figures were near the lowest of his second term.
Trump touted his record at rallies across the country ahead of the midterms. Reuters reported that Trump said he was willing to accept the midterm election results.
NPR's Morning Edition story on the results, reported by Franco Ordoñez and Michel Martin, was titled "Midterm results become a referendum on Trump's record."
