{
  "id": 17928573,
  "title": "A gift to Democrats: Trump’s unpopularity looks set to hand his opponents majorities in both chambers of Congress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/a-gift-to-democrats-trumps-unpopularity-looks-set-to-hand-his",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T07:06:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Insider",
    "slug": "the-insider",
    "url": "https://theins.press/en/politics/299039"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Democratic candidates lead the generic congressional ballot with more than 51% support, compared to less than 43% for Republicans, according to the latest figures from polling aggregator RealClearPolitics. Democrats hold leads in key states such as Michigan, Georgia, and New Hampshire, while Republicans face challenges even in Texas, where a Democratic candidate is narrowly leading the polls for the first time in over 30 years.\n\nAn unexpected race has emerged in Alaska, as well as in Kansas, which has not elected a Democratic senator in 94 years. Multiple issues, including inflation, fuel prices, the war in Iran, government inefficiency, and rising healthcare costs, are eroding support for the party in power. Roughly half of voters are highly concerned about government corruption, with 60% of respondents expressing \"extremely\" concern about the issue.\n\nDonald Trump's average approval rating has plummeted to a record low of 36%, with over 60% of Americans openly disapproving of his performance. Despite this, Trump has amassed a personal fortune of at least $2.7 billion since winning the 2024 election. The Democrats' potential gains remain uncertain, with Senate races to watch in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio, where Democrats hope to flip Republican-held seats. A majority Democratic victory would require flipping at least four Republican-held seats, given that Vice President JD Vance can cast the tie-breaking vote as president of the Senate.\n\nRepublicans are particularly vulnerable in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio, as well as in Texas, Alaska, and Kansas. While Republicans gained an estimated 15-16 seats through gerrymandering, Democrats have countered by securing six additional seats in their controlled states. However, gerrymandering relies on a particular balance of party support, which could shift if Democrats win over a majority of undecided voters or some traditional Republican supporters.\n\nTurnout will be critical to the Democrats' success, with a recent Pew Research Center poll indicating that 59% of those who say they intend to vote support Democrats, while just 35% favor Republican candidates. Despite this advantage, it remains unclear how much of this support will translate into actual votes on Election Day. The Republicans' biggest problem is their unpopular president, Donald Trump, who is driving up fuel prices and has a poor approval rating. Many Republican candidates are attempting to distance themselves from Trump, with over 180,000 mentions of him in Democrats' ads. Republicans have spent around $1.3 billion on their campaigns, compared to Democrats' $800 million, with ultrawealthy businesspeople, such as Elon Musk, playing a major role in financing Republican campaigns.",
  "summary": "Democrats have seized the initiative from Donald Trump and his Republicans party. The president's approval rating has hit a record low amid inflation, war, and corruption scandals. The traditional midterm backlash against the party in power could turn into a Democratic wave, making it much harder for Trump to push through some of his initiatives. However, the U.S. electoral system and divisions…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "Counting down to a Congress verdict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/counting-down-to-a-congress-verdict",
        "published": "2026-11-03T05:51:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KBS World Radio",
        "title": "Control of Congress at Stake in US Midterm Elections",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/control-of-congress-at-stake-in-us-midterm-elections",
        "published": "2026-11-03T06:09:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SABC News",
        "title": "Tensions rise as midterm campaign ends, control of Congress at stake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/tensions-rise-as-midterm-campaign-ends-control-of-congress-at-stake",
        "published": "2026-11-03T06:14:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Trump faces midterm verdict with control of Congress at stake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/trump-faces-midterm-verdict-with-control-of-congress-at-stake",
        "published": "2026-11-03T06:32:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Polls show Trump's party could lose control of Congress but they may be wrong",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/polls-show-trumps-party-could-lose-control-of-congress-but-they-may",
        "published": "2026-11-03T06:58:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RFI English",
        "title": "In Miami’s Little Haiti, ‘Blood’ looks past Trump’s rhetoric as US midterms loom",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/in-miamis-little-haiti-blood-looks-past-trumps-rhetoric-as-us",
        "published": "2026-11-03T08:19:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}