Poll Shows Many Voters Want Congress to Block President Trump's Agenda
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A recent Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll suggests most voters want a Democratic-leaning Congress to restrain President Trump’s policies ahead of the 2026 midterms.
A Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll released by NPR indicates that a strong majority of Americans want the next Congress to serve as a check on President Trump's agenda on issues such as tariffs, health care and immigration. The survey of 2,028 adults conducted Oct. 13-19 shows 52% of registered voters and 54% of likely voters would prefer to elect a Democrat to Congress over a Republican, a double-digit advantage that reflects the intensity of the anti-Trump mood in the survey.
President Trump’s job approval stands at 34%, with 62% disapproving, according to the poll, which carries a 2.2-point margin of sampling error. G. Elliott Morris, author of the Strength In Numbers newsletter and CEO of Wave Polling and Research, said the results reflect “Trump’s ratings hit new lows on seven of the 10 issues we’ve tracked since May 2025, from jobs and trade to immigration and border security, and he’s now underwater on every issue we ask about.” The findings are being framed as a warning sign, even though polling can swing with the news cycle.
Among respondents, inflation and rising prices are the top concerns, cited by 63% as one of their three most important problems and by 39% as the primary issue. Other prominent concerns include jobs, health care, elections and democracy, and immigration. Voters are clearly anxious about the economy and the direction of the country, which helps explain why this poll is drawing attention.
The poll also finds that 25% of voters consider it important to elect a Congress that will help President Trump advance his agenda, while 58% say their priority is to elect a Congress that will act as a check on his policies. Two-in-five respondents indicated their vote would primarily be a statement against President Trump, compared with one-in-five who would vote in support of him. That split shows how deeply polarized the electorate remains heading into the midterms.
The findings suggest that Democrats and Republicans are investing heavily in House and Senate races, even in traditionally conservative districts where President Trump performed well in the 2024 election. Voter sentiment appears to be shifting, with Democrats now trusted slightly more than Republicans on immigration and a growing advantage on a range of issues. Republicans will likely argue that these numbers are a snapshot, not a verdict, while Democrats are likely to treat them as an opening to press their case.