# Trump faces grim midterm outlook as Americans turn sour > A new NBC News poll shows 71% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, with Trump's approval at a second-term low of 34% weeks before the midterms. - Title: Trump faces grim midterm outlook as Americans turn sour - Summary: A new NBC News poll shows 71% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, with Trump's approval at a second-term low of 34% weeks before the… - Keywords: donald trump, 2026 midterm elections, nbc news poll, presidential approval, republican party, democratic party, economy, inflation, politics, news, Trump, faces - Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-americans-anxious-pessimistic-deeply-unhappy-trump-ahead-midterms-rcna603064 - Author: Sahil Kapur - Published: 2026-10-18T13:00:41+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: donald trump, 2026 midterm elections, nbc news poll, presidential approval, republican party, democratic party, economy, inflation, politics, news ## Seventy-one percent say country on wrong track An NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey finds seventy-one percent of U.S. adults think the country is on the wrong track, the highest share yet in President Donald Trump's second term. ## Trump approval hits second-term low Trump's approval rating slipped to thirty-four percent among U.S. adults, a second-term low in this poll, while his disapproval rating rose to sixty-six percent. ## Majority strongly disapprove of Trump The poll found a majority, fifty-one percent, of respondents strongly disapprove of Trump's performance, a second-term high and a warning sign for Republicans. ## Democrats lead on Congress preference Registered voters said they prefer Democrats over Republicans to control Congress by a fifty-five to forty-five percent spread, a sign the GOP's House and Senate majorities are in danger. ## Both parties viewed unfavorably Just forty-three percent of adults view the Democratic Party favorably while fifty-seven percent hold an unfavorable view. Thirty-seven percent view the Republican Party favorably while sixty-three percent view it unfavorably. ## Trump's support fractures among key groups Trump's approval is seventy-six percent with Republican adults but only twenty-one percent with independents. Among men under thirty, a group Trump won by one point in two thousand twenty-four exit polling, his approval sits at… ## Latinos shift away from Trump Among Latinos, who also shifted toward Trump in two thousand twenty-four, his approval rating is thirty-one percent, showing erosion among a group that moved toward him in the previous election. ## Majority say Trump policies hurt country Among adults, fifty-eight percent said Trump's policies are hurting the country, while twenty-eight percent said they are helping the country and fourteen percent said they aren't making a difference. ## Economy dominates voter concerns The economy tops the list of most important issues at thirty-one percent. Forty-four percent of Americans said their financial situation is worse now than a year ago, while eighteen percent said it's better. ## Inflation at three point seven percent Inflation last month rose to three point seven percent year over year. Sixty-seven percent of respondents described gas prices as a very serious or somewhat serious problem. ## Americans skeptical of Trump's five thousand dollar promise Trump promised five thousand dollar payments if Republicans win the two thousand twenty-six midterms. Just fourteen percent said they definitely or probably expect to receive such a check, while seventy-one percent think they definitely or… ## Majority view Trump administration as corrupt More than half, fifty-two percent, of U.S. adults said they find Trump's administration more corrupt than previous administrations, while about one in four said it's less corrupt. ## Poll surveyed nineteen thousand adults The NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey surveyed nineteen thousand one hundred thirty-five adults online from September twenty-eighth to October twelfth and has a margin of error of plus or minus two point… ## Key takeaway An NBC News poll finds seventy-one percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, Trump's approval has fallen to thirty-four percent, and registered voters prefer Democrats to control Congress by fifty-five to forty-five percent ahead of the November third midterm elections.