Hatred Towards President: Analyst Reveals Record Disapproval of Trump
US President Donald Trump is facing record-breaking levels of disapproval ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. The latest CNN/SSRS poll shows that 51 per cent of respondents strongly disapprove of Trump’s performance, while only 13 per cent strongly approve.
CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten assesses that these figures demonstrate an unusual intensity of disapproval towards a president leading up to a midterm election. According to him, Trump’s current issue is not merely the number of citizens who disapprove of his performance, but the sheer size of the group expressing strong opposition.
“They do not just dislike him,” said Entense, as reported by The Independent on Friday, 25 September 2026. The data is particularly significant as the midterm elections are approximately 40 days away. All seats in the US House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate seats will be contested in the November vote.
CNN noted that the overall approval rating for Trump’s performance stands at 33 per cent, while 67 per cent disapprove. This approval rating represents Trump’s lowest point in CNN surveys during his two presidential terms.
However, what is considered more concerning for the Republican Party is the intensity of this sentiment. As many as 51 per cent of respondents did not merely state they disapprove, but chose the “strongly disapprove” category.
Conversely, only 13 per cent stated they strongly approve of Trump’s performance. Another 20 per cent stated they somewhat approve, while 16 per cent somewhat disapprove.
The disparity between strong disapproval and strong support is one of the aspects highlighted by political analysts. Trump has long been known as a figure capable of generating both intense opposition and intense political loyalty.
However, the latest data shows that these two forces are no longer balanced. The group that strongly disapproves of his performance is almost four times larger than the group that strongly approves.
Record Levels Ahead of Midterms
Enten compared Trump’s current situation with that of previous presidents leading into midterm elections. According to his analysis, the level of strong disapproval towards Trump has now surpassed the records seen leading into the midterms during his first term.
In 2018, during Trump’s first term in the White House, the percentage of citizens who strongly disapproved of his performance was around 45 per cent. The midterms that year subsequently resulted in significant changes in the US House of Representatives.
The Democratic Party gained 41 seats at that time, taking control of the House. The Republican Party, on the other hand, managed to add two seats to their majority in the Senate.
Another historical comparison is President George W. Bush. Ahead of the 2006 midterms, approximately 41 per cent of Americans strongly disapproved of Bush’s performance.