America's wits' end election approaches

Axios · 10/15/2026, 3:00:16 PM

Data: AP-NORC; Chart: Avery Lotz/Axios A trio of polls out this week carries a stark message: Americans feel disgruntled, dizzy and down on the man in the White House. Why it matters: The vibes going into the midterms are bleak, with a large majority of voters wanting significant change. But the question remains whether those sentiments will drive them to the polls. Driving the news: Nearly three-quarters of Americans rate the economy as only fair or poor, per a Fox News poll out Wednesday. Seven in ten voters say they feel like things in the country are out of control, per a The Economist/YouGov survey conducted October 10-12. And eight in ten, new AP/NORC polling found, want to see either "substantial change" or "complete and total upheaval" in how the country is run. Among Republicans, 58% share those sentiments. Zoom out: That national angst appears to be dragging down the president's approval. Fox News found that Trump's approval rating on inflation, which picked up last month, is at a new low: 22%. His overall job approval rating has also fallen to a new floor in Fox News surveys for either term: 36%. Fox says that drop is largely driven by voters under 45, those with household incomes below $50,000, non-white voters and those without a college degree. What they're saying: White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement provided to Axios that "[u]nderestimating President Trump and this administration have proven the experts and pollsters wrong every single time." Yes, but: Polling suggests that disgruntlement doesn't necessarily translate into a wellspring of positive energy toward Democrats. Far more voters say they're somewhat or very pessimistic about the Democratic Party's future (47%) than those who say they're optimistic (21%), per AP/NORC. About half say they're pessimistic about Republicans' future, while around 23% say they're optimistic. Still, Fox found that if the election were held today, 54% of voters would back the Democrat in their House