--- title: "Trump approval rating hits low as voters blame him for economy, poll finds" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-20T18:45:55.158Z" source_reported: "2026-09-20T16:34:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-20T18:45:55.158Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 70 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-20T18:24:55.857Z" --- # Trump approval rating hits low as voters blame him for economy, poll finds *New NBC News survey shows 41% approval, with more voters saying his policies hurt the economy.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to NBC News poll; two independent reports and four digests confirm. - Craft 70 of 100, higher is better. Reports clearly separate fact from comment and provide specific figures, dates, and places. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are direct and accurately reflect the content of the reports. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 41%, a second-term low, according to an NBC News poll released September 20. - Fifty-five percent of voters surveyed believe Trump's policies have hurt the economy, an increase from March. - The ongoing Iran war has contributed to rising gasoline prices and other costs, NBC pollsters noted. - Democrats hold a 5-point lead in the battle for control of Congress, a decrease from their previous advantage. President Donald Trump's approval rating has reached a second-term low of 41% among registered voters, according to an NBC News poll released on September 20. The survey also found that 55% of voters believe Trump's policies have harmed the economy. This figure represents an increase from March, when 48% of voters held the same view. NBC pollsters indicated that the ongoing Iran war has contributed to increased gasoline prices and other living costs. In the contest for control of Congress, Democrats currently hold a 5-point lead (50%-45%), a decrease from their 12-point advantage in 2018. Republicans trailed Democrats in the poll regarding who would better handle inflation, with 31% favouring Republicans compared to 38% for Democrats, and the economy, with 38% for Republicans versus 39% for Democrats. Additionally, more than six in ten voters stated that the Iran war has not been worth the cost. ## Divergent views on midterm vote motivation While the NBC News poll found that 55% of voters believe Trump's policies have hurt the economy, other reports indicate different findings regarding voter motivation for the midterm elections. A digest from BizToc stated that a growing share of voters see their congressional vote as driven by opposition to President Donald Trump. A Newsweek digest reported that 43% of voters say their midterm vote is meant to oppose Trump. ## What the coverage left out None of the left or centre-rated reports mention the specific margin of error for the NBC News poll, which was +/- three percentage points. The full reports from USA Today and MetroWest Daily News state this detail, but it was not carried in the digests from Barron's, Newsweek, Biz Toc, Detroit Free Press, or NBC News. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (3) - Centre: 50% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-20T18:24:55.857Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-20T20:00:18.714Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led with President Donald Trump's approval rating hitting a second-term low and more voters stating his policies have hurt the economy. USA Today and Detroit Free Press, in their full reports, highlighted that Trump's approval rating dropped to 41% and that 55% of voters believe his policies have harmed the economy. These reports also noted that the Iran war has driven up costs and that Democrats hold a 5-point lead in the battle for Congress. NBC News, also rated left, reported that sinking ratings threaten to drag down Republicans in the midterm elections, with voters blaming Trump for high prices and a shaky economy. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the drop in Trump's approval ratings and the impact on the economy. Barron's digest stated that 41% of voters approve of Trump's job handling, with 56% disapproving, noting this is lower than previous polls. MetroWest Daily News, in its full report, echoed the findings of Trump's approval rating hitting a second-term low of 41% and 55% of voters believing his policies have hurt the economy. This report also mentioned the Iran war's impact on prices and the Democratic lead in congressional control. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 2 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Barron's](https://barrons.com/livecoverage/sunday0920/card/trump-s-approval-ratings-drop-as-voters-cite-economy-e7Rm4hSJkURFcsmsXkWb?eafs_enabled=false) — Trump's Approval Ratings Drop as Voters Cite Economy - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/43-percent-say-midterm-vote-is-meant-to-oppose-trump-poll-12465113) — 43 Percent Say Midterm Vote Is Meant to Oppose Trump, Poll Finds - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/5b830780ce90cf08) — 43 Percent Say Midterm Vote Is Meant to Oppose Trump: Poll - [USA Today](https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/20/donald-trump-nbc-news-poll-economy-iran/91859376007) — Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll - [Detroit Free Press](https://freep.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/20/donald-trump-nbc-news-poll-economy-iran/91859376007) — Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll - [MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA…](https://metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/20/donald-trump-nbc-news-poll-economy-iran/91859376007) — Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-voters-say-trump-hurt-economy-competitive-midterm-election-looms-rcna597868) — Poll: Most voters say Trump has hurt the economy as competitive midterm election looms ## Questions **What is Donald Trump's current approval rating?** According to an NBC News poll released on September 20, President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a second-term low of 41% among registered voters. This represents a decrease from previous polls conducted earlier in the year. **How do voters feel about Trump's impact on the economy?** Fifty-five percent of voters surveyed in the NBC News poll believe that President Donald Trump's policies have hurt the economy. This sentiment has increased since March, when 48% of voters expressed a similar view. **What is the current standing in the battle for control of Congress?** In the latest NBC News poll, Democrats hold a 5-point lead over Republicans in the race for control of Congress, with 50% of voters favouring Democrats and 45% favouring Republicans. This lead is down from a 12-point advantage Democrats had in 2018. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump approval rating hits low as voters blame him for economy, poll finds", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-approval-rating-hits-low-as-voters-blame-him-for-economy-poll-finds