# Voters want Congress to check Trump, trust Democrats more

> A new poll shows record-low Republican approval on key issues and a strong majority wanting the next Congress to oppose Trump's agenda.
- Title: Voters want Congress to check Trump, trust Democrats more
- Summary: A new poll shows record-low Republican approval on key issues and a strong majority wanting the next Congress to oppose Trump's agenda. Voters trust…
- Keywords: 2026 midterms, trump approval, congress, democrats, republicans, polling, immigration, tariffs, health care, news, Voters, want
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/10/21/nx-s1-6011179/poll-democrats-republicans-trump-approval
- Published: 2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: 2026 midterms, trump approval, congress, democrats, republicans, polling, immigration, tariffs, health care, news
## Trump's approval hits new lows
President Trump's job approval sits at 34 percent, with 62 percent disapproving and 50 percent strongly disapproving, according to a Strength In Numbers poll.
## Republicans losing trust on issues
Voters now trust Democrats more than Republicans on immigration, the economy and other top issues. Trump's ratings hit new lows on seven of ten tracked issues.

> Trump's ratings hit new lows on seven of the 10 issues we've tracked since May 2025, from jobs and trade to immigration and border security, and he's now underwater on every issue we ask about.
## Prices remain voters' top concern
Sixty-three percent of respondents say prices and inflation are one of their top three most important problems, with 39 percent listing it first.
## Democrats lead in House and Senate races
Voters prefer to elect a Democrat to Congress over a Republican by 52 percent to 41 percent among registered voters and 54 percent to 42 percent among likely voters.
## Majority wants Congress to check Trump
Fifty-eight percent of voters say it is more important to elect a Congress to act as a check and balance on Trump, compared to 25 percent who want Congress to help him.
## Voters want rollback on multiple issues
A majority of voters surveyed want Congress to roll back or check Trump's stances on tariffs and trade, health care, foreign policy, elections and voting, government spending and immigration.
## Some Trump voters now regret their choice
Nearly one in ten people who said they voted in the 2024 presidential race regret their choice, including almost 15 percent of self-described Trump voters.
## Key takeaway

Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on major issues and want Congress to check Trump's power, less than two weeks before the 2026 midterms.