Trump's approval rating drops to 37%, Republicans grow increasingly concerned about midterm elections.

According to The Wall Street Journal, roughly five weeks ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, Donald Trump predicted to associates that the Republican Party would outperform expectations in November, though GOP candidates, strategists and lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about the electoral outlook. The latest WSJ poll shows Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 37%, the lowest level recorded for any president ahead of midterms since the survey began tracking such data in 1990. Conducted September 16-21, the poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters, with a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points. Among voters who backed Trump in 2024, 11% say they regret their vote; 11% of Republican voters who do not identify as part of the MAGA movement also plan to support Democrats in congressional races. Recently, some Republican candidates in key states have publicly called for an end to the war on Iran, or distanced themselves from Trump’s immigration and energy policies. Democrats need only gain a small number of seats to retake the House of Representatives, while the Republican-controlled Senate is widely considered a toss-up. Trump is currently focusing on roughly 35 competitive races, and plans to campaign for GOP candidates via virtual rallies and trips to swing states.