Cost-of-living crisis and sinking approval ratings expose Trump’s vulnerability before the midterms
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A Fox News poll shows voters are overwhelmingly focused on inflation and the cost of living, while President Trump’s job approval sits at a record low and Democrats hold a clear lead on the generic House ballot.
A Fox News poll conducted Oct. 9-12, 2026, shows that six-in-10 voters name the cost of living as their top economic concern, outranking government spending, jobs and income inequality. A strong majority describe the economy negatively (74%) and expect it to get worse next year (53%), underscoring widespread public frustration.
Overall, 55% of respondents say inflation is "not at all" under control, up from 45% earlier in the year, including 30% of Republicans. President Donald Trump’s approval on inflation has collapsed to 22%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series, while disapproval on the issue has surged to 77%, reflecting deep discontent with his handling of prices.
Trump’s total job approval stands at 36%, his lowest figure in a Fox News poll for either term. Disapproval is also heavy on the economy (70%), tariffs (69%) and foreign policy (64%). Border security is the only issue with a near-even split, at 50% approval, offering the administration its sole modest bright spot.
On the generic House ballot, 54% of voters say they would support the Democratic candidate versus 45% for the Republican, a lead that exceeds the margin of error. Among voters who are certain they will vote, the Democratic advantage narrows to 52%-46%, but still favors Democrats heading into the midterms.
Party identification remains stable, with 43% of respondents identifying as Democrats and 41% as Republicans. Party loyalty is strong, with 98% of Democrats and 94% of Republicans saying they will back their party’s candidate. Independents favor Democrats by 26 points.
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who co-conducts the Fox News Poll, noted, "> When the country is this closely divided in terms of partisanship, slight differences in defection and turnout rates can make all the difference."
Democrats lead on ten of 13 issue concerns, including government corruption (60% extremely concerned), inflation (58%), gas prices (50%) and healthcare (48%). Republicans retain advantages on crime and border security, but those edges are not enough to offset the broader concern over economic pain and public distrust.
Congress receives only 15% approval, while 84% disapprove, marking a historic low in public confidence. Both parties have net-negative favorability ratings, with the GOP at 38% favorable and 61% unfavorable, and the Democratic Party at 42% favorable and 58% unfavorable.
The poll surveyed 1,202 registered voters selected randomly from a national voter file, with a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points for the full sample.