US President Donald Trump's job approval rating rose one percentage point to 32%, but remained near a record low recorded a week earlier. 66% of Americans disapprove of his performance in office, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The poll was conducted between October 22 and 26 among 1,679 American adults, including 1,280 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points for all participants and 3 points for registered voters.
Democrats maintain their lead
When asked which party they would vote for if the congressional elections were held now, 47% of registered voters said Democrats, while 36% said Republicans. 11% were undecided. After including the preferences of wavering voters, the gap narrows, but Democrats maintain a lead of 50% to 41%.
In the Ipsos analysis, which uses a model of likely voters, the Democratic candidate receives support from 53% to 44%. The national vote does not indicate how the state and district races that will determine control of the House and Senate will play out.
The economy remains the president's weak point
Only 25% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling the economy, and 20% approve of his actions on the cost of living issue. The Democratic Party is favored over the Republican Party on the question of which political force is doing a better job of the economy - 34% to 28%.
Among Republicans, 62% approve of the president's economic policies, but the share of those approving of his actions on the cost of living is 48%. In that group, 42% say they approve of his job performance “somewhat“ and 34% say “strongly“.
Republicans are trying to hold onto their majorities in both houses of Congress in the Nov. 3 elections. Losing either would make it harder to implement Trump's agenda in the final two years of his second term.
The president acknowledged that his party has traditionally underperformed in midterm elections, but said: “Nobody has run a midterm campaign like me.“
Sources: reuters.com, apnews.com