Trump Gets Bad News On Monday

Americans are increasingly telling pollsters that they feel worse off financially than they did when President Donald Trump began his second term, creating another political warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterm elections.

A new Focaldata survey conducted for the Financial Times found that 53% of registered voters believe they are in a worse financial position than they were on Jan. 19, 2025, the final day of Joe Biden’s presidency. That includes nearly one-quarter of Republican voters.

The findings come as Americans continue to deal with higher costs, including elevated gasoline prices, while the war with Iran adds additional pressure to energy markets.

The survey also found Democrats holding an advantage on the generic congressional ballot. About 51% of respondents said they would vote for a Democratic candidate in the November midterm elections, compared with 45% who preferred a Republican candidate.

The numbers could present a serious challenge for Republicans as they attempt to maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

Economic concerns appear to be particularly important. More voters said they trust Democrats than Republicans when it comes to jobs and the economy, an issue that helped Trump defeat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump’s overall approval rating was also underwater in the survey, with 55% of Americans saying they disapprove of his performance. Even Republican support showed some movement, with roughly one in five Republicans saying they disapprove of the president’s job performance.

Republican approval of Trump reportedly fell eight percentage points compared with the Financial Times’ previous survey in July.

The stakes are significant for both parties. Democrats would need to gain four seats in the Senate and four seats in the House to take control of both chambers.

If Democrats regain either chamber, Republicans would face a substantially different political environment for the remainder of Trump’s term. Democratic control could make passage of major partisan legislation considerably more difficult while giving congressional Democrats greater authority to conduct investigations and issue subpoenas.

Democrats have already indicated that they could use congressional investigative powers to examine the Trump family’s business interests and financial activities.

Another potential target is the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was closely associated with Elon Musk’s efforts to reduce federal spending and restructure government agencies. Democratic lawmakers have expressed interest in investigating the layoffs, organizational changes and other actions connected to the initiative.

Republicans have faced their own challenges in the House, where their majority has remained extremely narrow. The limited margin has contributed to internal disagreements and made passing major legislation more difficult.

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have relied heavily on budget reconciliation to advance portions of their agenda because the process allows certain legislation to bypass the Senate’s normal 60-vote threshold.

Trump has also encouraged Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster and move additional legislation through Congress, but those efforts have not succeeded.

The latest poll comes as public opinion surrounding the war with Iran presents another potential problem for the administration. A separate Reuters/Ipsos survey found limited support for the conflict, with many Americans saying the administration has not clearly explained its objectives or strategy.

The Focaldata survey was conducted Aug. 7 through Aug. 10 among 1,913 registered voters and has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.

With the midterms approaching, the combination of economic concerns, gasoline prices, questions about the Iran conflict and declining approval numbers could make the next several months especially consequential for Trump’s administration and the Republican Party.