With the midterm elections just over six months away, polling numbers continue to show difficulties for Republicans, particularly President Donald Trump.
Trump’s Recent Approval Ratings
President Trump’s approval ratings have dropped to some of the lowest levels of his presidency. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released on April 28, found that only 34% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, marking the lowest approval rating of his term, according to the pollster.
Midterm elections are often seen as a referendum on the party in power, and both Trump and Republicans are hoping to maintain control of Congress. However, polling data suggests challenges ahead for the GOP.
Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats Hold a 10-Point Lead
An Emerson College Polling national survey, released on April 29, found that Democrats held a 10-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, conducted from April 24-26 among 1,000 likely U.S. voters. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus three percentage points. This suggests that Democrats are poised to make significant gains in the upcoming midterms.
Trump’s Approval Rating: Current Figures
Trump’s approval rating has been consistently net negative for about a year, fluctuating but generally trending downward over the last six months. As of April 30, Trump’s average approval rating, according to several polling aggregators, is as follows:
- New York Times: 39% approve, 58% disapprove
- Silver Bulletin: 39.5% approve, 57% disapprove
- RealClearPolitics Poll Average: 40.8% approve, 56.6% disapprove
Trump’s Approval Compared to First Term
Trump’s approval ratings in his second term are significantly lower than they were at this point during his first term. On April 29, 2018, the RealClearPolitics Poll Average showed that Trump had 42.3% approval and 54.3% disapproval.
In comparison, the New York Times showed that Trump’s net approval was -13 percentage points 466 days into his first term, compared to a -19 percentage point net approval at the same point in his second term.
