President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 37% in a new Wall Street Journal poll, giving him his lowest mark in the outlet’s polling ahead of a midterm election. The poll also found broad concern about the economy and Trump’s handling of it, with 60% saying his policies have made the economy worse. The numbers come as polling also shows Trump with a negative overall approval rating.
The Wall Street Journal poll was conducted Sept. 16-21 among 1,500 registered voters, as per a report by USA Today and Silver Bulletin.
What did the Wall Street Journal poll find?
Trump’s 37% approval rating is the lowest recorded for an incumbent president heading into the midterms in the Wall Street Journal’s polling history, which dates back to 1990.
The figure is notable because the newspaper has been tracking presidential approval around midterm elections for decades. The previous low from the same point in the election cycle came under former President George W. Bush in 2006.
Bush had a 39% approval rating before that year’s midterm elections, according to the Wall Street Journal poll.
Trump’s current number is two percentage points lower.
The latest survey also found that Americans remain unhappy with the state of the economy. About 65% of respondents said the economy was not strong.
Another 60% said Trump’s policies had made the economy worse.
The Wall Street Journal conducted the poll between Sept. 16 and Sept. 21. It included 1,500 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
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How does Trump’s rating compare with George W. Bush?
The 2006 comparison has drawn attention because Bush was also dealing with low approval before the midterms.
That election took place during a deeply unpopular war in Iraq. Democrats gained five seats in the Senate and 31 seats in the House of Representatives.
Those gains gave Democrats control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in a decade.
Twenty years later, the polling picture again shows Americans expressing concern about a war. The information provided in the latest polling says many Americans are critical of the war in Iran.
Several surveys have also shown Democrats holding leads over Republicans when voters are asked which party they want to control Congress.
Those leads have ranged from five to 11 percentage points in multiple surveys.
The numbers come from individual polls and do not represent one single national measurement.
What do polling averages show?
Other polling averages also put Trump’s approval rating below 40%.
RealClearPolitics, as of Sept. 28, showed Trump at 38.7% approval and 59.9% disapproval.
The New York Times showed 37% approval and 60% disapproval on the same date.
Silver Bulletin had Trump at 37.4% approval and 60.1% disapproval on Sept. 28.
The figures vary slightly from one polling average to another, but all three showed more Americans disapproving of Trump’s performance than approving of it.
Another figure in the polling information puts Trump’s net approval at -22.4.
That compares with a net approval rating of -11.6 at the same point in his first term. Joe Biden’s net approval was -9.6 at the comparable point in his presidency.
The different numbers show how approval ratings can shift depending on the poll or polling average being used.
Still, the Wall Street Journal result stands out within its own historical series. At 37%, Trump’s approval rating is now below the 39% recorded for Bush ahead of the 2006 midterms.
With the midterm elections approaching, the economy remains a major part of the polling picture. The latest Wall Street Journal survey found that nearly two-thirds of registered voters said the economy was not strong, while six in 10 said Trump’s policies had made it worse.
The poll provides a snapshot of voter sentiment at this point in the election cycle, while the other polling averages show where Trump’s overall approval and disapproval stood as of Sept. 28.
FAQs
What is Trump’s approval rating?The Wall Street Journal poll puts Trump’s approval rating at 37%.
What do voters say about the economy?
Sixty-five percent said the economy was not strong, while 60% said Trump’s policies made it worse.
