WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 31%, its lowest level in Reuters/Ipsos polling across either presidential term, as Democrats widened their congressional voting lead.
The four-day online survey, which closed on Monday, put approval one percentage point below the previous reading two weeks earlier. That movement was smaller than the survey’s stated margin of error.
Among registered voters, 47% chose Democrats when asked which party they would support if congressional elections took place immediately. Republicans attracted 35%, giving Democrats a 12-point advantage.
It was their widest lead of the current election cycle.
Two weeks earlier, Democrats led by seven points, with support at 44% against Republicans’ 37%. The latest findings arrive before the November 3 elections, when control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be decided.
However, the national figures do not predict individual contests.
A generic ballot question measures broad party preference rather than support for named candidates. State and district races determine congressional control, and Republicans retain structural advantages in some of those contests.
Women accounted for much of the widening gap between the parties. Half of female registered voters preferred Democrats, compared with 32% who chose Republicans. Men favoured Democrats by a smaller margin.
Read More: US Poll Puts Trump Approval Rating at Record-Low 32%
Economic assessments presented another difficulty for the administration.
Some 68% of adults disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, including 37% of respondents who identified as Republicans. Asked which party would manage the economy better, voters preferred Democrats by 40% to 33%.
The findings were recorded as Americans faced high gasoline prices and pressure on household finances. They do not, by themselves, establish how much any single issue contributed to voting preferences.
Republicans risk losing the ability to advance Trump’s agenda as easily if Democrats take either chamber of Congress during the final two years of his term.
Researchers surveyed 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters. The stated margins of error were two percentage points for adults and three percentage points for registered voters.
(With additional input from Reuters)
