How Trump and Republicans lost the 2026 midterm elections, according to The AP Voter Poll

After more than a decade of Donald Trump being the focal point of U.S. politics, most voters seem fatigued and frustrated by him, as indicated by The AP Voter Poll, a survey of midterm voters in all 50 states. The failure to fulfill key promises, particularly his pledges to curb inflation, which has worsened rather than improved, evidently impacted his fellow Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections for the House and the Senate.

Voters generally perceived Trump as being more preoccupied with his own wealth and lavish lifestyle than addressing their needs.

The president's endorsement of candidates with questionable loyalty further hurt his Republican supporters. When Trump suggested in a Fox News Channel interview that Democrats "fought hard" and that his endorsed candidates were not fully loyal to him, it raised concerns for Democrats. While Democrats hold a slight edge on key issues like the economy, their advantage is not substantial.

Nearly 70% of voters believed Congress was not doing enough to check the president's power, setting the bar for Democrats hoping to retake the Senate and the House.

In Republican strongholds like Texas, inflation's effects were evident in voters' wallets. About 20% of Texas voters reported "severe" hardship due to inflation, and roughly three-quarters of them supported Democrat James Talarico for the Senate. A majority of voters nationwide, considering factors such as groceries, healthcare, and gas, voted for the Democratic candidate in their local U.S. House race.

The blame for the economic downturn was largely attributed to Trump's policies, with two-thirds of voters stating the economy had worsened under his leadership. Additionally, a majority of these voters backed the Democratic candidate.

Corruption within government was deemed crucial for voters' decisions, surpassing concern for the cost of living, which was shared by about 60% of voters. Despite Republicans hinting that voters cared little about Trump's wealth, the majority of voters saw him as being self-serving. Trump's actions during his second term, including laying off federal workers, imposing tariffs, launching a war with Iran, remodeling the White House, and bullying various allies, led voters to believe he lacked proper priorities.

Consequently, about two-thirds of voters supported Democratic House candidates, believing Trump should have more congressional oversight.