Trump approval near career low ahead of elections, poll finds

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's approval rating has reached a career low as voters in the recent congressional midterm elections see their vote as an opportunity to oppose the Republican president, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday. The poll, which polled 1,765 U.S. adults online, revealed that 46% of voters preferred Democrats over Republicans in a "generic ballot" question, down from 11 points last week.

However, this 8-point Democratic advantage was narrower than in a previous poll. Trump's fellow Republicans are fighting to retain their majorities in Congress, with Democrats hoping to gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are up for grabs. Democrats face a more challenging path in the U.S. Senate, with the party on the defensive in Alaska and Michigan.

Trump, who will not be on the ballot, still has a significant influence on the election. About 32% of poll respondents approved of Trump's job performance, unchanged from the previous week. Among registered voters, 50% of independents viewed their vote as a vote against Trump, while 13% saw it as a vote for Trump. The cost of living was the most important issue for voters, with 78% of voters saying it would be very important or the most important factor in their decision.

Democrats appeared to have more enthusiasm about voting, with 49% of Democratic voters stating they were "very enthusiastic" about voting this year compared to 33% of Republicans. The poll was conducted online and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.