Democrats Lead Midterm Polls as Trump Faces Record Disapproval
Democrats are favored to reclaim the House as record early voting and high disapproval of President Donald Trump pressure Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 elections.
The Republican Party is playing defense ahead of the November 3 midterm elections as national polling suggests Democrats are favored to win back the House of Representatives. A Wall Street Journal poll shows 59% of voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, the highest dissatisfaction rate in the poll's history, driven by the war in Iran and the cost of living. The same poll indicates a majority of voters, including some Republicans, seek congressional candidates who will establish checks and balances on the presidency and end the conflict with Iran.
More than 43 million Americans have cast early ballots, a significant increase over 2022 turnout. National polling shows Democrats leading Republicans by 8.2 percentage points in the congressional ballot average. While the House is likely to flip, the Senate remains a tossup. In response, the GOP has deployed Vice President JD Vance to shore up support in deep-red districts, and President Trump has reinstated cancelled rallies in Kansas and Iowa to mobilize the base.
Internal GOP tensions have emerged, with Representative Ashley Hinson distancing herself from the president's economic claims. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has urged candidates to ignore negative polling, suggesting such reports are designed to suppress turnout. Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton has campaigned for Democrats in Mississippi, and the Department of Justice is managing a legal dispute over candidates sharing the same name in a key Alaska Senate race.
