New congressional polling shows Republicans narrowing the gap with Democrats even as President Donald Trump’s approval rating sinks to fresh second-term lows.
In response to recent polling on Trump’s approval ratings, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement, “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.”
Newsweek has contacted the Republican National Committee for comment via email.
Why It Matters
U.S. midterm dynamics are shifting against the backdrop of heightened global tensions, including the Iran war, alongside persistent domestic unease that is weighing on the president’s standing.
While Trump’s approval has slid, early indicators suggest Republicans may be stabilizing their position ahead of the 2026 elections.
What To Know
Recent polling points to a modest improvement for Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, even as Democrats retain an overall edge.
In a The Economist/YouGov poll conducted March 27—30, 2026, based on a sample of 1,679 U.S. adult citizens with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, voters were asked who they would support if elections for Congress were held today.
The survey found 39 percent backing the Democratic Party’s candidate and 33 percent supporting the Republican candidate.
Another 2 percent said they would vote for a different option, 12 percent were unsure and 15 percent said they would not vote.
A follow-up Economist/YouGov poll fielded April 3—6, 2026, surveying 1,750 U.S. adult citizens, showed Republicans closing the gap.
In that poll, 38 percent said they would vote for a Democratic candidate, while 36 percent favored the Republican candidate.
Support for other candidates remained at 2 percent, with 10 percent undecided and 14 percent saying they would not vote.
Compared with the late-March survey, Republican support rose by three percentage points.
While Democrats continue to lead in both polls, the narrower margin in the April survey suggests incremental movement toward the GOP at a time when the party is seeking momentum ahead of the midterms.
Broader polling averages still show Democrats with a clearer advantage.
Real Clear Polling’s aggregate of surveys on the 2026 Generic Congressional Vote put Democrats at 47.5 percent and Republicans at 41.8 percent at the time of writing, underscoring that the opposition party remains ahead nationally despite recent Republican gains.
These shifts are unfolding as Trump’s approval rating remains underwater and continues to hit new second-term lows across multiple issues, creating a mixed political environment for his party.
What Is Trump’s Approval Rating?
Aggregated polling paints a bleak picture for the president.
According to RealClear Polling’s approval rating average, Trump stands at 41.4 percent approval versus 56.1 percent disapproval, giving him a net approval of minus 14.7 percentage points.
A separate CNN poll of polls places his numbers even lower, with 37 percent approving and 61 percent disapproving, a net approval of minus 24 points.
Tracking from The Economist also shows Trump in negative territory.
Its approval tracker lists the president at a net approval of minus 19, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous week, with 37 percent approving, 56 percent disapproving and 7 percent unsure.
Taken together, the data show Trump struggling to win over a majority of voters even as his party shows signs of modest recovery in congressional preference polling.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement, “No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”
What Happens Next
With midterms still months away, future polling will test whether Republicans can build on recent gains or whether presidential approval continues to drag on the party’s prospects.
