A new poll shows deep dissatisfaction among Americans with the direction of the country and how President Donald Trump is handling key issues — from the economy to immigration — a year before the 2026 midterm elections.
Most say US is ‘on the wrong track’
According to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, about 67% of Americans believe the country is “very seriously on the wrong track,” while less than a third say it’s headed in the right direction.
This figure, while grim, represents a slight improvement from November 2024, when 75% said the same before the presidential election.
Democrats (95%) and independents (77%) are far more likely than Republicans (29%) to believe the US is headed in the wrong direction. A larger share of blacks (87%), Hispanics (71%), and Asians (71%) also hold this view compared to white Americans (61%).
Concerns are dominated by the economy and inflation
A scant 52% of Americans say the economy has gotten worse since Trump took office, while 27% say it has gotten better. Nearly 6 in 10 of those making less than $50,000 say their finances are worse than before.
Roughly 60% blame Trump for the current rate of inflation, including one-third who say he deserves a “large chunk” of the blame. Even among Republicans, 1 in 5 give him some responsibility.
While 18% of Americans say they are “better off” financially under Trump, 37% say they are “worse” and 45% say they are about the same.
Approval ratings are falling across major issues
Overall, 59% disapprove of Trump’s performance as president, compared to 41% who approve, dropping him 18 points. His strong disapproval (46%) is more than double his strong approval (20%).
Most disagree with his handling of tariffs, the economy, and the management of the federal government. Roughly 6 in 10 also disapprove of his approach to Russian-Ukrainian relations, immigration, crime and the situation between Israel and Gaza.
Trump’s highest approval rating went to Israel and Gaza – 46% approval – up from 39% in September, following a US-brokered ceasefire. However, his lowest approval rating is on the economy, with just 37% approval, his weakest since taking office.
The expansion of presidential power is causing alarm
The poll found that 64% of Americans believe Trump is “going too far” in expanding presidential powers. Majorities also say he has gone too far by cutting the federal workforce (57%), sending the National Guard to American cities (55%) and intervening on college campuses (54%).
About half believe Trump has overreached in deporting undocumented immigrants (50%) and ending diversity and inclusion programs (51%).
Americans split on global leadership
Nearly half (48%) of Americans say US leadership has weakened under Trump, while 33% believe it has strengthened. Some 47% say they spend the right amount of time on global crises, but 46% think they are “too supportive of Russia.”
Just 39% say Trump deserves “a lot” or “good” credit for the Israel-Hamas truce, while 43% say he deserves little or none.
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The startling finding: 68% of Americans say the Democratic Party is out of touch with ordinary people — higher than Trump (63%) or the Republican Party (61%).
Medium-term warning signs
As the 2026 midterms approach, voters are evenly split: 46% support a Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives and 44% prefer a Republican.
Researchers point out that a negative evaluation of the incumbent president often signals the ruling party’s difficulties in the run-up elections.
Perceptions of crime and immigration
About 6 in 10 Americans see crime as a serious problem in major US cities, although only 8% say it is “extremely serious” where they live.
Republicans are more likely (42%) to see urban crime as a major problem compared to Democrats (17%) and independents (27%).
Public opinion is divided on ICE deportations — Republicans strongly support expanded operations and Democrats are largely opposed.
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Politically motivated violence
34% to 28% more Americans blame the Republican Party than the Democrats for politically motivated violence, even though 28% say both are equally to blame.
There are few votes among the voters of 2024
Despite widespread discontent, most Americans stand by their votes in 2024. 92% of Trump voters and 97% of Harris voters say they made the right choice.
Survey methodology
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll was conducted 24-28 October 2025 via Ipsos KnowledgePanel among a random national sample of 2,725 US adults. The error tolerance is ±1.9 percentage points.
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