2018 US Politics - 42% of Americans Approving of Trump's Job as President (September 19)

With less than fifty days until the midterm elections this upcoming November, Democrats continue to hold on to their advantage in the generic congressional ballot. Likely voters would be more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate (48%) than a Republican candidate (41%) if the elections were held today. This advantage is reflected in the sentiments of the general public; among all Americans, Democrats (39%) hold an 8-point lead over Republicans (31%).

Trump’s approval numbers remain steady compared to last week, with 42% of Americans approving of his job as President. Trump’s approval rate is slightly higher among likely voters than Americans as a whole (47%). When it comes to the most important problem that the US is facing today, all Americans (18%) and likely voters (20%) say it is healthcare. Americans also report the economy generally (13%) and immigration (13%) as important problems. Likely voters are slightly more likely to care about immigration (16%), followed by the economy generally (13%).

When it comes to the direction of the country, more than half of Americans (54%) say that things in this country are on the wrong track, while 34% say they are heading in the right direction. Likely voters are also more likely to say that things in the country are on the wrong track (53%) than heading in the right direction (41%). Republicans (74%) are more optimistic about the direction of the country compared to Democrats (12%) and Independents (33%).

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for Thomson Reuters between September 12-18, 2018. For the survey, a sample of 2,215 Americans, including 1,304 likely voters, 544 Democrats, 582 Republicans, and 159 Independents ages 18+ were interviewed online.