Early NBC exit poll finds 38% of midterm voters approve of Trump
In the poll, 43% said opposing him was one reason for their vote, and just under 8 in 10 said inflation is straining their families.
Americans voted on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in elections that decide which party controls . Trump is not on the ballot, but during a campaign blitz he urged supporters to act as though he were. Early results from the NBC News Exit Poll show 38% of voters approve of his performance.
Forty-three percent said opposing him was one reason for their vote. The same poll finds an overwhelming majority describing the economy as in rough shape, and more than half saying his policies made it worse. Other polls point the same way.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey put his approval at 32 percent, and a Morning Consult survey found more voters disapproving than approving. On Tuesday morning Trump told Fox & Friends that " is solved." Newsweek cites federal data showing September inflation above its level at the start of his second term.
Newsweek reports that election forecasters have projected a strong showing for Democrats, and that final forecasts have pointed to the possibility of a "blue wave." White House spokesman Davis Ingle called Trump the Republican Party's "unequivocal leader."
- Thirty-eight percent voters who approve of Trump, NBC News Exit Poll — NBC News
- Forty-three percent voters who said one reason for their vote was opposing Trump, NBC News Exit Poll — NBC News
- 75% voters who say the economy is in rough shape, NBC News Exit Poll — NBC News
- 3.7 percent annual inflation in September, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics — Newsweek
- 32 percent Trump approval in the Reuters/Ipsos poll — Al Jazeera English
Three sides of the story
Liberal3 outlets
voters rebuking Trump over prices and the economy
NBC News opens with its exit poll: 38% of voters approve of Trump, and 43% say one reason for their vote was to express opposition to him. It reports that most voters say inflation is causing hardship and that 62% say he is responsible for high prices. The Independent builds a tracker around economic weariness, citing an AP-NORC poll in which 17% approve of his handling of the cost of living, and a New York Times poll showing Democratic candidates ahead in Texas and Alaska.
It quotes Robert Gault, a retired factory worker who describes himself as a Republican: "it's not really good." Al Jazeera English leads with a Reuters/Ipsos poll putting approval at 32 percent. It says polls suggest his rating has dropped steadily, especially since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28.
It quotes Trump at his final rally: "For some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms."
- NBC News: Exit poll: Voters cast ballots against Trump
- The Independent (US): Trump approval rating tracker: How unpopular is the president as midterms arrive?
- Al Jazeera English: Trump approval rating near record low on eve of US midterm elections: Poll
Center1 outlet
Trump's upbeat claims set against weak approval numbers
Newsweek leads its Election Day report with Trump's Fox & Friends remark that "Inflation is solved," set against a CNBC survey in which 34 percent of registered voters approve of his handling of the economy, an all-time low in that polling, and September inflation of 3.7 percent. It adds some relief at the pump, with GasBuddy putting the national average at $4.12 a gallon, and quotes analyst Patrick De Haan: "Volatility could return quickly after the election." Republican pollster Buchanan says his firm's data shows economically struggling and younger voters have shifted most away from Trump.
A second Newsweek piece, built on Civiqs tracking, finds him underwater in 39 states and in all the major battlegrounds, with 33 percent approving nationally and 60 percent disapproving. It quotes Northeastern University political scientist Costas Panagopoulos and gives White House spokesman Davis Ingle's description of Trump as the 's "unequivocal leader."
Conservative1 outlet
record-low ratings and Republicans privately blaming Trump
The Daily Mail headlines a "brutal poll" on the eve of the election, with Trump's ratings at their "lowest-ever" and Republicans privately blaming him for a predicted "bloodbath." It reports a Morning Consult poll with 56 percent disapproving and 41 percent approving, a net approval of -15 points, and 46 percent strongly disapproving against 22 percent strongly approving. Among likely voters, Democrats hold a seven-point edge, 50 percent to 43 percent, in a hypothetical congressional matchup.
The paper then turns to the party's own worries: just 68 percent of Republican voters say their party is headed in the right direction. It cites an October 30 Politico article in which 15 Republican lawmakers were interviewed, and quotes one Republican senator: "Political capital is earned and lost the same way." Others, it says, defended the president and argued he would stay influential in the GOP.
Which side made the stronger case?
For drivers, GasBuddy puts the national gas average at $4.12 a gallon, down 17.1 cents in a week but $1.13 above a year ago, Newsweek reports. GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan says prices could swing again after the election. He points to whether new attacks or a truce occur near the , and to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.
All sources: 8 articles from 5 outlets
Liberal (5)
- Al Jazeera English: Trump approval rating near record low on eve of US midterm elections: Poll
- NBC News: Exit poll: Voters cast ballots against Trump
- The Independent (US): Trump scores lowest midterm voter approval numbers ever in CBS exit poll
- The Independent (US): Trump approval rating tracker: How unpopular is the president as midterms arrive?
- The Independent (US): Trump approval rating tracker: How the president's popularity has plunged ahead of the midterms
Center (2)
- Newsweek: Trump Says Inflation Solved as Economic Approval Hits Record Low at Midterm
- Newsweek: Map Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating in Every State on Election Day
Conservative (1)
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