Democratic Voters Motivated by Opposition to Donald Trump

Recent polling indicates that opposition to Donald Trump is a primary driver for Democratic voter turnout ahead of the November midterm elections. A YouGov poll found that 54 percent of Democratic voters intend to vote specifically to stop the president and Republican lawmakers from passing policies, outweighing the 46 percent motivated by the Democratic party platform. In contrast, 57 percent of Republican voters are driven by a desire to help the president and his party pass their agenda.

Public sentiment remains strained by the administration's handling of the economy and a war launched against Iran in February, which disrupted oil shipments and raised fuel prices. While a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump's approval rating rose slightly to 35 percent from a record low of 33 percent in August, 63 percent of Americans disapprove of his proposal to provide a $5,000 dividend to citizens if Republicans retain congressional control.

The Republican Party currently trails in generic ballot polling, with 44 percent of Americans favoring Democrats for Congress compared to 37 percent for Republicans. Democrats also hold a slight edge in preferred economic policy. However, the Democratic Party faces its own hurdles, as a Quinnipiac University poll shows 70 percent of voters disapprove of the performance of Democratic lawmakers. Election handicapper Decision Desk HQ has given Democrats a 68 percent chance of reclaiming the House, while the GOP's odds of winning the Senate stand at 51 percent.