President Trump’s approval rating fell to 33 percent in a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, the lowest of either of his terms, with roughly two weeks to go before the midterm elections.4,1
The Post-ABC-Ipsos survey was released Sunday and shows Democrats with an eight-point advantage heading into November. The Hill said the approval figure was four points lower than a poll conducted in July. A separate NBC News poll cited by The New Republic put Trump below 35 percent and gave Democrats a 10-point lead, and that outlet said polling averages also suggested a Democratic lead in double digits.4,1,7
Other surveys produced different figures. A New York Times/Siena College poll of about 3,494 likely voters in October found Trump’s approval at 36 percent, the lowest that poll has recorded for him, according to The Guardian. In that survey, 59 percent said they disapproved of his handling of the job and 52 percent said they planned to vote for the Democratic candidate. France 24 reported a record low of 31 percent without naming the survey behind that number.5,6
The Guardian reported that disapproval was concentrated on economic issues. In the Times/Siena poll, 73 percent of registered voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of gas prices, 69 percent disapproved of his handling of the cost of living and 64 percent disapproved of his handling of the economy. About 65 percent disapproved of his handling of the Iran war, which the Guardian said has lasted nearly eight months and pushed gas and oil prices up. As of October 21, gas prices were above $4.25 a gallon, and inflation rose to 3.7 percent the previous month, the outlet reported.5
On PBS NewsHour, NPR’s Tamara Keith described Trump’s campaign travel. She said that at a Rose Garden dinner in September with about 30 Republicans in competitive races, he promised to visit all 35 of their districts. Based on her analysis of his travel since then, she said he has gone to fewer than a third of those districts, and instead has visited many very red states and districts. “Part of that is because he’s a liability in swing races,” Keith said, adding that the map has shifted so that areas not widely discussed months ago are now competitive.1
The Cook Political Report’s Carrie Dann pointed to the Post’s breakdown of Republican voters. Among those who identify as MAGA-affiliated, Trump’s approval was 94 percent. Among Republicans who do not identify with the MAGA movement, she said, he is barely breaking even, and almost half of those voters disapprove of him. Dann said that Republicans face a difficult task in asking those voters to “hold your nose and show up in November” without weakening support among his most loyal backers, which she said helps explain his travel to very red areas.1
The New Republic cited Politico reporting in which Republicans spoke anonymously and blamed Trump for the party’s position. One Republican said he is clueless about what “voters care about,” adding, “It’s insane.” Others criticized operatives in Trump’s super PAC for trying to shift blame onto Republicans, the outlet said.7
Spending in the battleground Senate races is also drawing attention. Keith said AdImpact data shows Ohio has been the most expensive state in the Senate race since September 1, through Election Day. She noted that Republican Jon Husted was appointed to the seat, and that many voters still think of Sherrod Brown as the state’s senator. The Guardian said Democrats still face a large financial advantage for Republicans in competitive races in Texas, Ohio, New York, Alaska and Iowa.1,5
Turning to Ukraine, Bennett said Trump is escalating his confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including a dispute over access to satellite communications used by the Ukrainian military. He also said the president has blamed Ukraine for rising gas prices in the United States. Dann said Trump appears to be trying to link high gas prices to the Biden administration, and she cited AdImpact figures showing about $2 million in ad spending on Ukraine and Russia this cycle, compared with about $80 million on Iran and gas prices. Keith said Trump has often feuded with Zelenskyy, and that voters “very clearly tie it to the Iran war.” She also noted an announcement that Russia would sell diesel to the United States, and said no one was expecting it to bring down diesel prices.1
Democratic candidates have focused their campaigns on cost-of-living issues, according to The Guardian, promising to rein in tariffs and other policies that have pushed costs up. MS NOW’s headline framed the findings as a midterm reckoning for Republicans, saying new polls show voters siding with Democrats. The Guardian said it had asked the White House for comment.5,3
The PBS segment moved on to a separate matter in Washington, where the administration wants to overhaul the historic East Potomac public golf course, a plan that has sparked a legal fight. Bennett’s question about whether the larger story was about who decides how public land is used ran out of time before Dann could fully answer it.1