New Poll Shows Trump Ratings Rise As GOP Narrows Midterm Gap

A new poll shows Donald Trump’s approval rating climbed to 42% among likely voters. This figure rises from the 38% mark recorded just last month. The Washington Examiner reported that the number of voters disapproving of his job fell from 59% to 56%. At the same time, Republicans have narrowed the generic ballot lead over Democrats from 9 points down to 6. The poll of 1,007 likely midterm voters offers a rare ray of hope for the party. Predictions of a blue wave in November are meeting some resistance from actual data. The gap has shrunk to just 6 points as independents move toward the GOP.

Pollster Jeremy Zogby noted that most of this movement comes from independent voters. He explained that these voters are often misjudged by survey firms as leaning one way or another. “Rather, there is a fluidity with this group,” Zogby said. He added that the shift suggests more independents are worried about the specter of socialism. Crime is another issue that favors the MAGA movement, he noted. Voters are also seeing that Democrats lack a real plan for the midterms. “And the movement we see now, it looks like more Independents are concerned about the specter of socialism,” he said.

Many voters have tightened their belts as diesel prices rose above $6 per gallon. Security is now taking precedence over prosperity for many families. The poll found Trump’s approval on handling affordability rose from 32% to 36%. His rating on handling Iran also went up from 33% to 40%. Yet other polls still show a large lead for Democrats. The latest Economist/YouGov poll gave Democratic candidates a 14-point lead. This creates a mixed picture for strategists looking ahead to November.

Senator Jon Husted is joining other Republicans who want the war in Iran to end. He told Politico that the conflict needs to stop quickly to lower gas prices. Husted faces former Senator Sherrod Brown in a toss-up race in Ohio. Other candidates in Iowa and Michigan have also called for an end to the fighting. Michigan nominee Mike Rogers said the war “needs to end, and end quickly.” The Senate is scheduled to take up a war powers resolution by October 2.

Despite the positive numbers for Trump, some forecasts remain dire. Democrats have a 91% probability of winning the House according to reports. It also gives them a 61% chance of flipping the Senate. Trump has banned three news organizations from the White House while showing little interest in helping his party. This has led to a string of increasingly dire forecasts from various analysts. The RealClearPolitics polling average still gives Democrats an 8.3-point lead.

Republicans must decide how to use this narrowing gap before the election. The shift in Iowa moved the Senate race from “Leans Republican” to a toss-up. Ashley Hinson claimed shoppers must not bear war costs in Iran at the pump or checkout, while Husted once opposed ending the conflict but now backs a deal to halt it. “I don’t know anybody that doesn’t want the war to come to an end,” he said. The deadline for the Senate to consider the war powers resolution stands firm. Voters will decide if this shift in sentiment is enough to change the outcome in November.