Poll finds Trump’s rating edges up but Democrats gain ground for midterms

President Donald Trump’s approval rating ticked up slightly from a record low, even as a new poll shows growing public appetite for Democrats to take control of Congress following the Republican Party’s first midterm convention last week.

A four day Reuters and Ipsos survey found that 35 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in office, a modest rise from 33 percent recorded in a poll conducted between August 28 and 31, which had marked the lowest point of his political career. The survey gathered responses from 1,143 Americans nationwide and carries a margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.

Trump’s standing has slipped since he launched a war against Iran in February, a conflict that has disrupted oil shipments from the Middle East and pushed fuel prices toward record levels, squeezing household budgets across the country. Since the war began, Republicans have lost ground with voters and, in recent weeks, have surrendered their long held advantage as the party voters trust more on the economy.

Asked which party they would support if congressional elections were held immediately, in what pollsters call a generic ballot question, 44 percent of respondents chose Democrats and 37 percent chose Republicans. That seven point gap marks the widest margin since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. A loss of either chamber would complicate Trump’s ability to advance his agenda during the final two years of his term, though generic ballot results reflect national sentiment rather than the state by state and district by district dynamics that will actually determine control of the Senate and House, where Republicans retain some structural advantages.

On economic stewardship specifically, voters now favor Democrats over Republicans by a narrow 38 percent to 37 percent margin, the first time Democrats have held that edge in roughly a decade.

The poll also measured reaction to a pledge Trump made during his convention speech, in which he promised that all Americans would receive a 5,000 dollar dividend if Republicans keep control of Congress in November. Sixty three percent of respondents disapproved of the offer, including four in ten Republicans and nine in ten Democrats.

Trump’s ongoing construction projects around Washington, including a new ballroom at the White House, drew sharply divided reactions along party lines. Ninety one percent of Democrats surveyed opposed the plans, compared with about one in four Republicans. Roughly two thirds of Americans overall, including half of Republicans, said they consider the construction projects a low priority.