The Republican Party , led by President Donald Trump, is facing an uphill task in the 2026 midterm election as Trump’s approval ratings touch an all-time low.
In his headline speech, Trump promised a $5000 dividend check to Americans if the GOP retains a majority in both houses in the midterms. Hours later, he announced a $500 Obamacare rebate for eligible policyholders. But as of September 10, Trump’s approval rating on Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin sits at -19.5, which the pollster describes as “far from popular. The CNN poll places it at an all-time low of 35%. Meanwhile, the YouGov survey shows that back in January 2025, the verdict on the president was divided 50-50 among registered voters, with around 49% approving and 51% disapproving. But in September 2026, the figures have tilted significantly. As of September 10, only 37.8% approve of Trump’s performance while 60.3% disapprove, according to YouGov.
Even as he keeps himself at the center of the GOP’s ”bizarre and risky” midterm strategy, according to CNN analyst Stephen Collinson . “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said Wednesday night from the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, Texas. The two offerings, one coming back-to-back, were interpreted by many as Trump’s last-ditch attempt to win over voters amid plummeting approval ratings.
The desperation is evident, particularly on the part of Trump, who has made the GOP midterm strategy “all about himself” despite the ratings of his performance being at a record low. Coupled with recent losses for several Trump-supported candidates in the GOP primaries, many believe that the prospects for the party are far from ideal as they head into the November polls. The anxiety about the GOP midterm strategy was evident on day one of Trump’s Dallas Republican convention. Styled as a grand, two-day Trump rally headlined by the President himself and VP JD Vance , the rally aimed to bring the GOP candidates under one roof and get them to rally behind Trump.
“Trump offers a bribe of $5,000 in exchange for votes, the bribe is promoted as a dividend and would cost $1.2 trillion dollars,” Anonymous , the hacking group, said. “Bribing someone to vote a certain way is a federal crime punishable by prison.”
