As voters prepare to cast ballots in the United States midterm elections, President Donald Trump faces persistent political headwinds with his job approval rating hovering near a record low, according to polling data.
Results from a /Ipsos survey show that 32 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s handling of the presidency. While this figure marks a modest one-percentage-point increase from his standing two weeks prior, it remains near the lowest points of his term. Public sentiment has also translated into broader electoral challenges for his party. When polled on a generic choice between congressional candidates, 46 percent of respondents favored Democrats, while 38 percent indicated support for Republicans.
Although Trump is not personally on the ballot, he has repeatedly urged his base to treat the contest as a referendum on his leadership. Campaigning heavily ahead of the November 3 vote, Trump warned supporters that a Republican loss of control in Congress could result in Democrats pursuing a third impeachment.
The decline in presidential approval has been steady, particularly following the launch of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on February 28. That conflict triggered sharp increases in fuel prices and intensified consumer anxieties regarding inflation and the broader economy, issues that have dominated the midterm landscape.
To counter these pressures, Trump undertook a nearly monthlong campaign blitz to rally support for Republican candidates fighting to retain their majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The president concluded his final stretch of campaigning on Monday afternoon with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.
During his closing speech, Trump dedicated significant time to discussing his controversial plans to renovate the capital, including a proposed “Triumphal Arch” currently facing legal challenges. He also addressed the troubled restoration of the reflecting pool site itself—a project that ran months behind schedule, exceeded its initial budget tenfold, and faced immediate setbacks after a specialized liner began peeling shortly after installation.
“It was a work of art that never worked, but now it will work,” Trump told the crowd at the Monday rally.
While wrapping up his cross-country push, Trump appeared to temper expectations regarding the election outcome, acknowledging the traditional difficulties sitting administrations face during midterm cycles. “For some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms,” Trump said. “But we gave this a very strong shot.”
