President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 31 per cent as Americans worried about high gasoline prices appear ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.
Some 31 per cent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed. A full 66 per cent disapprove, according to reports.
Democrats’ widest ballot lead of the cycle
Asked which party they would vote for if the congressional elections were held today, 47 per cent of registered voters picked Democrats and 35 per cent chose Republicans, the widest Democratic advantage of the current election cycle, according to reports. The findings could bolster Democratic hopes of seizing control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, which would complicate Trump’s agenda in the last two years of his term.
Much of the drop in support for Republican congressional candidates came from women: 50 per cent of female voters said they would vote Democratic, compared with 32 per cent eyeing Republican candidates, according to reports. Men also favoured Democrats, but by a smaller margin.
What the numbers do not show
Generic ballot polls measure national sentiment but do not capture the state-by-state and district-by-district contests that determine control of Congress, where Republicans hold some structural advantages, according to reports.
The survey, conducted online, gathered responses from 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points, according to reports.
Polling aggregators have shown a steady erosion of support since the summer, with the economy and the cost of living consistently ranking as voters’ top concerns, according to reports. Republican strategists are counting on structural advantages in the Senate map and favourable district lines to hold their majorities even if the national mood favours Democrats.
