Trump approval hits record low in UMass Amherst poll ahead of midterms

September 1, 2026 at 12:55 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

President Donald Trump's net approval rating fell to minus 32 points in a University of Massachusetts Amherst poll, with 64% disapproving of his second-term performance. The decline comes less than two months before midterm elections that could strip Republicans of control of the Senate and House. Other recent polls show similar drops, with Trump's approval ranging from 18% to 36%.

Key Facts

The UMass Amherst poll found 32% approve and 64% disapprove of Trump's second-term performance, a net approval of minus 32 points.
The minus 32 net approval is lower than the minus 29 in March 2026 and minus 20 in July 2025 in the same poll series.
A Morning Consult poll of 2,203 registered voters on August 28-30, 2026, put Trump's net approval at minus 14 points with 36% approval.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,215 adults on August 21-24, 2026, recorded a net approval of minus 32 points with 18% approval.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten said independent voters' approval of Trump on inflation has fallen to minus 64 points.

Poll Numbers

The University of Massachusetts Amherst poll shows Trump's net approval at minus 32 points, with 32% approving and 64% disapproving of his second-term performance. This is a decline from minus 29 in March 2026 and minus 20 in July 2025 in the same poll series. Poll director Tatishe Nteta said time is running out for Trump and the Republican Party to offer solutions to the nation's most pressing problems. Nteta added that failure could lead to a continued decline in the president's approval and increasingly risk Republican control of the House and possibly the Senate.

Other Polls

A Morning Consult poll of 2,203 registered voters on August 28-30, 2026, reported by The New York Times, put Trump's net approval at minus 14 points with 36% approval. A Quantus Insights poll of 1,200 likely voters on August 26-28, 2026, measured net approval at minus 15 points with 35% approval. A YouGov/Economist poll of 1,536 adults on August 21-24, 2026, found Trump's approval at minus 21 points with 29% approval. A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,215 adults on August 21-24, 2026, recorded a net approval of minus 32 points with 18% approval.

Inflation Discontent

Trump's approval decline comes as Americans remain dissatisfied with the economy. CNN data analyst Harry Enten said in a video posted on X that inflation was the key reason for Trump's election. Enten noted that in an August 2024 Ipsos poll, Trump led Harris by 12 points on inflation among independent voters, but his inflation approval among independents has now fallen to minus 64 points. Enten commented that such shifts are rare and that the key issue that re-elected Trump has collapsed.