Narativ with Zev Shalev

Narativ with Zev Shalev

The Narativ

Trump’s Approval Craters Amid GOP Election Loss Fears

Reuters/Ipsos has him at 32 percent, the lowest of his career, and Republicans privately concede a Senate seat in North Carolina.

Zev Shalev's avatar
Zev Shalev
Sep 23, 2026
∙ Paid
Getty Images / The New Republic

The Narativ is a full stack of original news reports and intelligent analysis on the day’s biggest stories delivered to your inbox 5 days a week. The Front Page is free to all subscribers while deeper dives are reserved for paid subscribers - now at 20% off annual subscriptions.

Trump fell to 29 percent approval in the American Research Group poll released Monday. Reuters/Ipsos put him at 32.

Nixon stood at 24 percent when Gallup last measured him, in August 1974. Trump is five points above that floor

.The Senate map shows how fast he is falling. In North Carolina, Roy Cooper leads Michael Whatley by 8.8 points in the 270toWin average, and Republicans privately concede the seat unless Trump's approval and prices improve, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. In Iowa, the Cook Political Report calls the race a toss-up, but Democrat Josh Turek leads Ashley Hinson 50 to 42 in Marist's poll out Tuesday — it may not even be 50-50 anymore. In Texas, James Talarico has led Ken Paxton in every poll this month, by three in the averages and six in Marist's. Sherrod Brown leads Jon Husted by four in Ohio. Troy Jackson is a point ahead of Susan Collins in Maine. Mary Peltola is two ahead of Dan Sullivan in Alaska. Six Republican seats, six Democrats ahead.

Republicans hold the Senate 53 to 47. Lose those six and hold everything else, and Democrats hold it 53 to 47. Republicans' best shots at Democratic seats — Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire — show the Democrat ahead in the same averages, by five, three and three.

Trump has read the same numbers, and he told the UN on Tuesday what he means to do about them.

Share

Take me back to The Narativ front page →

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Zev Shalev.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Zev Shalev · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture