Trump's approval rating falls to 33 percent ahead of midterms

Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to a record low of 33 percent in the latest Quinnipiac University poll released on Tuesday, the lowest level the former president has recorded since leaving office. The poll, which surveyed 1,200 likely voters nationwide, also showed that 62 percent disapproved of his performance. The dip comes as the 2024 midterm elections loom, a contest that could punish the Republican Party if Trump’s brand no longer drives voter enthusiasm.

The decline follows a cascade of legal setbacks for Trump. In March, a New York grand jury indicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, and in April a federal jury in Washington, D.C., found him guilty of contempt for refusing to testify before a congressional committee. Those outcomes have eroded his standing among independents and some GOP voters who once saw him as a bulwark against Democratic policies. At the same time, the Republican National Committee is scrambling to fund candidates in swing districts where Trump’s endorsement was once a decisive factor.

The poll’s numbers contrast sharply with the 45 percent approval rating the former president enjoyed in early 2023, before the criminal cases began. Republican leaders are divided. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that “the party must look beyond any one individual” while House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said Trump “still commands a loyal base that can win elections.” Political analysts at the Brookings Institution noted that a low‑approval Trump could force the GOP to field more moderate candidates in suburban districts, a shift that might improve its chances of retaining control of the House.

The next few weeks will test whether the party can adjust. Primary contests in states like Ohio and Arizona are scheduled for late August, and candidates are already positioning themselves as either pro‑Trump or independent of his influence. Democrats are likely to capitalize on the president’s legal troubles in campaign ads, framing the midterms as a referendum on his conduct. If Trump’s approval continues to slip, the midterms could become a watershed moment for the GOP, reshaping its leadership and strategy ahead of the 2024 presidential race.