Reuters/Ipsos: Trump Approval Falls to 31% Ahead of Midterm Elections
Ahead of the US midterm elections, approval of President Donald Trump's job performance has fallen to 31%, the lowest figure of either of his presidential terms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, as relayed by European Pravda.
The four-day poll found about 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office — one percentage point lower than two weeks earlier.
Democrats widen their lead
Asked which party they would vote for if a congressional election were held today, about 47% of registered voters in the national poll chose Democrats and 35% chose Republicans. The 12-point Democratic advantage is the largest of the current election cycle and could bolster Democrats' hopes of winning control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. A Reuters/Ipsos poll two weeks earlier had Democrats ahead by 7 points, 44% to 37%.
Generic-ballot polls give a general picture of which party respondents would like to see in power in Congress. They reflect national sentiment but do not capture all the nuances of the state and district contests that decide control of the Senate and House, where Republicans have some structural advantages.
Much of the decline in support for Republican congressional candidates was driven by a larger share of women saying they would vote for Democrats: about 50% of women voters said they would back Democrats, compared with 32% who prefer Republicans. Men also favored Democrats, but by a smaller margin.
Economy and the Iran war
Trump's popularity fell after he ordered military strikes on Iran in February together with US ally Israel. The war caused a sharp rise in gasoline prices that hurt household finances. About 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump's economic policy, including 37% of those who identify as Republicans. Respondents also rated Democrats as better managers of the economy than Republicans, 40% to 33%.
The US midterm elections will take place on November 3. Earlier, Trump said he would pay every American adult a "Trump dividend" of $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress in the November midterms. More in our Politics section.