Nearly half of likely voters say Trump is dragging down Republican candidates less than four weeks before the midterms

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

A separate Reuters/Ipsos survey puts Trump's approval rating at 32%, a figure that ties the record low he first hit in September. Trump's 2024 voters are also showing sharply lower enthusiasm, with only 30% saying they are "very enthusiastic" about voting in November compared with 48% of Harris voters.

Men — a key part of Trump's 2024 coalition — now reportedly favour Democrats over Republicans by 43% to 39%, the widest such gap of his second term.

Trump has preemptively blamed Republicans rather than himself, saying voters 'are angry at Republicans, but they're not angry at me.'

Independents are the starkest warning sign: 54% say Trump is damaging GOP chances, and nearly one in five Republicans — 18% — agree.