Trump faces midterm headwinds as Fox News poll highlights inflation angst and a narrow Democratic edge
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A Fox News poll finds cost-of-living concerns dominate voters’ minds, President Trump’s approval ratings remain under pressure, and Democrats hold a modest lead on the generic House ballot.
A Fox News poll conducted Oct. 9-12, 2026, finds that six-in-10 voters cite the cost of living as their top economic worry, ahead of government spending, jobs and income inequality. A majority view the economy negatively (74%) and expect conditions to worsen next year (53%), showing how stubborn inflation and broader economic anxiety continue to shape the political landscape.
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 falls to 22%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series, while disapproval on the issue reaches 77%. The numbers suggest that even loyal voters are uneasy about prices, a challenge any administration would struggle to ignore.
Trump’s total job approval stands at 36%, his lowest figure in a Fox News poll for either term. Disapproval rates are also high for the economy (70%), tariffs (69%) and foreign policy (64%). Border security is the only issue with a near-even split, at 50% approval, indicating that voters still see some strength on the core issue of the border.
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%, suggesting the final result may hinge on turnout and how effectively Republicans mobilize their base.
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, a reminder that the middle of the electorate is still leaning away from Republicans.
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, a contrast that could matter if voters decide those issues outweigh their economic frustrations.
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. In other words, the electorate is unhappy across the board, not just with one side.
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.