See CBS News exit poll results for the 2026 midterm elections
Overview of CBS News 2026 exit polls for the midterm elections
President Trump is on track for the lowest approval rating for a president in a midterm election, according to early exit polls. Currently at 38%, it's lower than it was during Mr. Trump's first term, and lower than it was for George W. Bush in 2006 when his party lost both houses of Congress.
Midterm elections have often been a referendum on the sitting president, and this one is no exception. Roughly six in 10 say Mr. Trump is a factor in their vote for the House.
This is being driven largely by voters backing Democrats, who are overwhelmingly motivated by opposition to Mr. Trump.
But for those backing Republicans, it's less about the president. Back in 2018, most Republican voters said their vote was to support Mr. Trump. That figure is lower today.
The president has often told his supporters to pretend he is on the ballot, and for many in the MAGA base, they may be doing just that. Most MAGA Republicans say their vote is to support Trump, but most non-MAGA Reps say he is not a factor.
The mood of the electorate is a sour one
Voters are just plain not happy.
Current exit polls show roughly three-quarters of voters are at least dissatisfied with the direction of the country. More are angry now about how things are going than they were in 2024, as economic anxiety persists. Those voting for Democrats are particularly likely to be angry.
The issue of the economy and trust in Mr. Trump to fix it helped propel him to victory in 2024, but voters feel no better about the condition of the economy today.
In fact, more voters have negative views of the economy now than they did two years ago, and views of the economy are more in line with what we saw in the 2022 midterms, when the party in power lost seats.
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