Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33%
New poll shows Democrats leading Republicans by 8 points in congressional elections
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, October 13, 2026.Evan Vucci/Reuters
Photograph: abc News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- President Donald Trump's approval rating has reached a record low of 33%, with 66% disapproving, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
- Democrats lead Republicans by an 8-percentage point margin among likely voters in congressional district elections, 52% to 44%.
- 71% of Americans call gasoline unaffordable, and 60% call groceries unaffordable.
- 72% of Americans say things in the country are headed in the wrong direction.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 7 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
70/100
Craft
71/100
Hype
41/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record low of 33%, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. The survey, conducted weeks before midterm elections, also found that 66% of Americans disapprove of the president. The poll indicated that 72% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
In congressional district elections, Democrats hold a lead over Republicans by an 8-percentage point margin among likely voters, with 52% supporting Democratic candidates and 44% supporting Republican candidates. This represents an improvement for Democrats since a previous poll in July. The poll also found that 71% of Americans consider gasoline unaffordable, and 60% find groceries unaffordable.
Disagreement on voter sentiment
One report stated that 66% of voters think Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself. This specific detail was not mentioned in other reports.
What the coverage left out
None of the reports mentioned the finding that 66% of voters think Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself, except for one digest. The specific detail that 71% of Americans call gasoline unaffordable and 60% call groceries unaffordable was not included in the centre-rated reports.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 18 Oct 2026, 15:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led with President Trump's record-low approval rating and the Democratic lead in congressional elections. They highlighted the poll's findings that 33% of Americans approve of Trump, while 66% disapprove. These reports also noted the 8-percentage point lead Democrats hold over Republicans among likely voters, with 52% to 44% support. The unaffordability of gasoline and groceries, with 71% and 60% of Americans calling them unaffordable respectively, was also a prominent theme. The sentiment that the country is heading in the wrong direction, cited by 72% of Americans, was also featured.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports focused on President Trump's approval rating hitting a new low in the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. They mentioned that this occurred with weeks remaining until the midterm elections, which are seen as a test of the GOP's agenda. The specific approval figure of 33% was reported.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33%?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 67% are rated left, 33% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 7. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33% left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33% biased?
- Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33% is one event reported by 7 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33%?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Trump's approval rating hits record low of 33%?
- 7 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is Donald Trump's current approval rating?
- According to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, President Donald Trump's approval rating has hit a record low of 33%. This means that 66% of Americans disapprove of his performance in office.
- How are Democrats and Republicans performing in congressional elections?
- In congressional district elections, Democrats are leading Republicans by an 8-percentage point margin among likely voters. The poll shows 52% support for Democratic candidates compared to 44% for Republican candidates.
- What do Americans think about the country's direction?
- A significant majority of Americans, 72%, believe that things in the country are headed in the wrong direction. Only 26% of Americans surveyed felt that things were moving in the right direction.
Read it at the source
28 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Trump's approval rating hits record low in poll as midterms near (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- Washington Post/ABC Poll Puts Trump Approval at 33% Low (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- Democrats lead Republicans in House vote choice as Trump's approval rating hits record low: ABC/Post/Ipsos poll (opens ABC News in a new tab)
- Trump approval hits record low, handing Democrats a clear midterm edge (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Most American Voters Believe that Trump's Policies Have Hurt the Economy (opens UNN in a new tab)
- Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll (opens Detroit Free Press in a new tab)
Detroit Free Press — is Detroit Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll (opens USA Today in a new tab)
USA Today
- Poll: Most voters say Trump has hurt the economy as competitive midterm election looms (opens NBC News in a new tab)
Centre
10- Poll: Trump's approval rating hits record low (opens Tucson in a new tab)
- Trump's approval rating hits record low in poll as midterms near (opens Reuters in a new tab)
- Inflation and cost of living top voter concern with 43 days until the midterm election (opens Lex18 NBC in a new tab)
- New NBC News poll shows President Trump's approval rating at second-term low (opens KYMA in a new tab)
- Trump's Economic Ratings Sink Ahead of Midterms: Over Half of Voters Say His Policies Have Hurt the Economy (opens IBTimes in a new tab)
- Majority of voters say Trump’s policies worsened the economy: Poll (opens The Hill in a new tab)
- Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll (opens The Detroit News in a new tab)
The Detroit News — is The Detroit News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump's Approval Ratings Drop as Voters Cite Economy (opens Barron's in a new tab)
Right
4- Trump’s Poll Numbers Look Brutal, But Midterm History Is More Complicated (opens Election Central in a new tab)
Election Central — is Election Central biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Groceries and Gas: Are Americans Paying More Under Trump? (opens Liberty Nation in a new tab)
Liberty Nation — is Liberty Nation biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Calls for Trump’s Accountability Reach All-Time High… Economy, Iran War, and $5,000 Pledge All Face Backlash (opens 조선일보 in a new tab)
조선일보
- Poll: Voters Blame Trump for Economy Ahead of Midterms (opens Newsmax in a new tab)
Not rated
6- Trump Approval Hits Record-Low 33% as Democrats Lead Likely Voters (opens The Eastern Herald in a new tab)
The Eastern Herald — is The Eastern Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 55% of Voters Say Trump Has Worsened the Economy: NBC News Poll (opens Conexión Migrante in a new tab)
Conexión Migrante — is Conexión Migrante biased? Our profile of this outlet
- [US Midterm Elections D-40] ②-3 Fellow Trump Supporters... New Yorkers' Votes Divided by High Inflation (opens asiae.co.kr in a new tab)
asiae.co.kr — is asiae.co.kr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Survey: Most Voters Believe that Trump Has Damaged the Economy (opens Agenpress in a new tab)
- 43 Percent Say Midterm Vote Is Meant to Oppose Trump: Poll (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- Poll: Most Voters Say Trump Has Harmed Economy · Global Voices (opens Telemundo Utah in a new tab)
Telemundo Utah — is Telemundo Utah biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

