Trump's approval drops among Republicans ahead of midterms, new poll shows

Jay Stahl, USA TODAYSun, September 6, 2026 at 1:01 PM UTC

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President Donald Trump's support among Republican voters dropped in a new poll less than two months from November's crucial midterm elections.

An NBC News Decision Desk survey conducted from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1 found a near 10 percentage point drop among Republicans who say they "strongly approve" of the president's job performance. In polling conducted in March and April, 52% of Republicans said they strongly approved of the president's performance, compared to 31% who said they somewhat approve. Now, 41% of Republicans said they strongly approve, and those who somewhat approve have jumped to 39%.

The results, unveiled by the network's star data expert Steve Kornacki, found that Trump's overall approval rating landed at 36% – marking a record NBC polling low this term. That's also close to a low of 33% in a Reuters poll released last month.

The polling comes as Americans brace for the final quarter of the year amid economic fears and growing uncertainty about the Iran war.

First-ever GOP midterm convention is this week. Here's how to watch

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Trump has said he's optimistic about his party's midterm performance − despite longstanding precedent suggesting that the party with presidential power typically loses seats in both the House and Senate.

"For some reason, the voters tend to go the other way. I think we're gonna do very well," Trump said during an Aug. 30 appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Night In America With Trey Gowdy."

Trump and Vice President JD Vance next week are expected to address the first GOP midterm convention in recent history. The pair will seek to galvanize voters in Dallas before the party goes on defense in major swing states before Election Day.

The NBC News polling surveyed 7,105 adults online from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley, Fernando Cervantes Jr.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's approval drops among Republicans ahead of midterms, new poll shows

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