2 new polls give Trump and Republicans nightmare signs for the midterms
- President Donald Trump is rapidly losing favor among independent voters and has a low approval rating in general despite a strong economy, two new polls show.
- Recent reports have suggested independents could comprise up to 30% of the electorate in this year's midterms, meaning they could make or break the GOP's majority in Congress.
- The midterm elections are on November 6.
President Donald Trump is rapidly losing favor among independent voters and has a low approval rating in general despite a strong economy, two new polls show, providing fresh warning signals for the president and the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
A new CNN poll found Trump's approval rating at just 36% and put his approval among independents at 31%, a new low and dropped all the way from 47% last month.
Recent reports have suggested independents could comprise up to 30% of the electorate in this year's midterms, meaning they could make or break the GOP's grip on its majority in Congress in November.
A separate poll from Quinnipiac University, also released Monday, showed Trump's approval rating at 38% and found 54% of American voters disapprove of the job he's doing. It also found just 36% of independent voters approve of Trump.
The poll did show, however, that Trump's approval with his base remains strong. Overall, 84% of Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing, the poll found.
Strong economic growth also doesn't seem to be winning over new voters for Trump, however.
"The economy booms, but President Donald Trump's numbers are a bust. An anemic 38% approval rating is compounded by lows on honesty, strength and intelligence," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, said in a statement.
The Quinnipiac poll found just 32% of Americans feel the president is honest, which it said was his lowest grade for honesty since he was elected. In addition, Trump received low grades from American voters on an array of character traits.
Trump's low approval ratings nationwide come as his administration fights off allegations of chaos within his administration in Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear," as well as claims in a recent anonymous New York Times op-ed of a "quiet resistance" against the president in the White House.
Historically, midterm elections often serve as referendums on the incumbent president, which makes Trump's overall unpopularity a liability for Republicans.
The midterm elections are on November 6.