Trump and Republicans received a major red flag from their own base about the economy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
A record share of Republicans expressing dissatisfaction with the economy under Donald Trump signals a meaningful shift inside his own coalition. Trump made strengthening the economy and combating inflation a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, but Americans continue facing a difficult economy and high cost of living more than a year into his term.
The poll found that 30 percent of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran nearly three months into the conflict that has upended the global economy. It surveyed 1,117 adults from May 14-18, 2026 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
“Americans can rest assured that as this agenda continues taking effect, and as Congress passes more of the President’s healthcare and housing affordability agenda, the best is yet to come in the second Trump term,” Desai said.improved from April—though it remained low. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they approve of Trump’s job performance, compared to 33 percent in a survey conducted from April 16-20, 2026.
That’s still a decrease from May 2025, when AP polling showed that 41 percent of Americans approved of the president. Trump remains a powerful, influential figure within the Republican Party, even as polling suggests his national approval rating has waned since he returned to office last year.
Recent GOP primary results show that his iron grip on the party’s electorate remains strong heading into the midterms.in a contentious Kentucky House GOP primary on Tuesday that garnered significant spending and national attention. Massie drew Trump’s ire over his critiques of the administration’s handling of the Epstein files and the Iran war.
Over the weekend, GOP Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, also lost renomination in the Louisiana Senate primary, with Trump-endorsed Representative Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming advancing to a runoff over the incumbent.
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