NBC News Poll: Democrats Gain Ground as Trump’s Disapproval Reaches 60%

A new national survey suggests voters are heading into the midterm elections driven less by party loyalty than by frustration over the economy, dissatisfaction with the country’s direction and growing doubts about Donald Trump

With two days remaining before the November 3 midterm elections, a new NBC News poll points to an electorate increasingly defined by dissatisfaction, unease and a desire for change, conditions that appear to be giving Democrats their strongest advantage of the campaign’s closing stretch.

The survey, conducted from October 28 to October 30, shows Democrats holding a seven-point lead in the battle for control of Congress, with 52% of registered voters favoring a Democratic-controlled Congress compared with 45% backing Republicans. The Democratic advantage has widened by two points since September and expands dramatically among independents, where Democrats hold a 21-point lead.

The numbers arrive alongside an even more striking finding: widespread voter discontent with both the country’s direction and its political leadership. Seven in ten voters say the United States is headed in the wrong direction, a nine-point increase from a year earlier. Nearly two-thirds want a change from the administration’s policies, reflecting a political environment in which frustration has become one of the campaign’s defining forces.

That mood is also reflected in perceptions of Donald Trump. The poll found that 60% of voters disapprove of the president, the highest level recorded in the survey, while 40% approve. A separate measure found that 64% believe Trump has fallen short of expectations, compared with 34% who say he has met them.

Economic concerns remain at the center of voters’ anxieties. Inflation and the cost of living continue to rank as the dominant issues facing the country, while roughly three-quarters of respondents say they are dissatisfied with current national conditions. In a milestone NBC described as unprecedented in three decades of polling, more Americans now report dissatisfaction with their personal financial situation than satisfaction. Fifty-one percent say they are unhappy with their finances, compared with 49% who say they are satisfied.

Despite the Democratic lead on the congressional ballot, the survey suggests neither party has fully won the public’s confidence. Democrats hold a narrow one-point edge on handling inflation, but Republicans retain a two-point advantage on the broader economy and a five-point lead on corruption. At the same time, only 29% of voters express a positive view of the Democratic Party, while the Republican Party receives a 38% favorable rating.

The poll also points to exceptionally high voter engagement heading into Election Day. Seventy percent of respondents rated their interest in the election at either 9 or 10 on a ten-point scale. Among those most motivated voters, Democrats enjoy a 12-point advantage.

Within the Republican coalition, Trump’s influence remains powerful but uneven. Approval of the president reaches 93% among voters who identify with the MAGA movement but drops to 54% among Republicans who do not.

Taken together, the findings suggest a final campaign landscape shaped by a paradox: Democrats appear to hold the advantage in the race for Congress, yet the electorate remains deeply dissatisfied, economically anxious and skeptical of the country’s political institutions. The result is an election in which frustration, more than enthusiasm, may prove to be the most powerful force driving voters to the polls.

(Photo: © AndKronos)