As the midterm elections draw closer, new polling offers a clearer picture of how supporters of the MAGA movement currently view President Donald J Trump.
Two days ago, fresh figures showed that Trump had joined former presidents Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter in a comparison of approval ratings tied to inflation. But inflation is only one part of the broader political picture.
That latest inflation polling showed Trump’s net approval rating on inflation improved slightly in June, moving to minus-47 points from minus-50 points in May.
Still, overall popularity is shaped by far more than a single economic measure.
With a little more than 100 days remaining before the midterms, the CNBC All-America Economic Survey examined how voters feel about the administration’s performance and whether those views could affect the remainder of Trump’s term.
The survey questioned 1,000 registered voters between July 8 and July 12, and the results suggested a difficult environment for MAGA-aligned candidates hoping to win back previous backers.
According to the poll, 57 per cent of respondents said they are unlikely to support any self-identified MAGA candidates this year.
It also found that 61 per cent of those surveyed feel pessimistic about both the current condition of the US economy and where it is headed.
The findings add to a run of summer polling that has pointed to softening approval for Trump’s second term, with several surveys showing him underwater nationally and facing particular weakness on the economy, inflation and foreign policy. They also suggest that the MAGA brand, rather than helping Republican candidates, may be becoming a liability with a broader slice of the electorate.
Even with those figures, Trump has continued to argue that his approval numbers are the highest “ever”. However, several recent surveys suggest otherwise, with part of the strain on his standing appearing to stem from the US and Israeli a war with Iran.
Polling released by Focaldata on July 6 put Trump’s approval rating at minus 23, which does not align with claims that it is his “highest ever”.
A CBS News/YouGov poll published in May also pointed to weakening confidence among voters.
That survey found that 60 per cent of respondents said they now disapprove of Trump’s handling of the presidency.
Among white non-college voters, 54 per cent also said they disapproved of Trump’s performance. Meanwhile, 61 per cent said they were unhappy with the job he is doing, and 66 per cent said the Iran war was a bad decision.
Other recent polling has placed Trump’s approval in the mid-30s to high-30s, with disapproval closer to 60 per cent, underscoring the political headwinds facing Republicans heading into the final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections.
Midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term, and this year they are set for November 3.
As that date approaches, former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has been urging voters to turn out in force.
She claimed Trump is “scared of your power” and that he “wants you to believe that your vote does not matter”.
“He wants you to lose confidence in our electoral system so you stay home this November,”
she continued in a statement, noting:
“He knows how discontent the American people are, and he wants to make sure that you do not vote.”
She told the people:
“Because if the people vote in their numbers, Republicans will lose.”
In a final appeal, Harris urged the public to make their “voices heard” and “put a real check on this corrupt and cruel administration”.
The White House has been contacted for comment.