Fox News poll: Trump approval at record-low 36%, 22% on inflation, weeks before midterms
A Fox News poll of 1,202 registered voters, conducted Oct. 9-12, finds Trump's overall approval at 36% and his inflation approval at 22%, both lows. Democrats lead the House ballot 54%-45%.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2A Fox News poll conducted Oct. 9-12, 2026 finds President Donald Trump's job approval at 36%, the lowest in a Fox News survey for either of his terms; it had held at 39% since May. Fox NewsR “Trump’s overall job approval is 36%, his lowest ever in a Fox News survey for either term. It had been holding steady at 39% since May.” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “President Donald Trump's approval rating has slipped to a record low for either term, according to a new Fox News Poll.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Right · 1His lowest rating is on inflation, where 22% approve, a new low; last summer 36% approved. Fox reports disapproval of 77% on inflation, 70% on the economy, 69% on tariffs and 64% on foreign policy. Fox NewsR “President Donald Trump’s lowest job rating is on inflation: 22% approve, a new low. Last summer, 36% approved.”“Disapproval of the job Trump is doing has reached 77% on inflation, 70% on the economy, 69% on tariffs and 64% on foreign policy.” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2Six in 10 voters name the cost of living as their top economic worry, ahead of government spending (15%), jobs and income inequality (7% each), tariffs (6%) and taxes (5%). Also, 74% rate the economy negatively, 53% expect it to worsen next year, and 55% say inflation is "not at all" under control, up from a low of 45% earlier this year. Fox NewsR “Six in 10 voters say the cost of living is their top economic worry, overshadowing government spending (15%), jobs and income inequality (7% each), tariffs (6%) and taxes (5%).” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “Seventy-four percent rate the economy negatively, the study also shows, as 53 percent say they think it will worsen next year.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Right · 1Fox says the approval decline is driven mainly by voters under 45, those with household income under $50,000, non-White voters and those without a college degree. Approval among Republicans is 76%, down 3 points since last month and 16 points since March 2025. Fox NewsR “The decline is mainly driven by decreases among voters under age 45, those with annual household income below $50,000, non-White voters, and those without a college degree.”“Approval stands at a low of 76% among Republicans. That’s down 3 points since last month, 12 points since September 2025, and 16 points since early in his second term (March 2025).” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2Seven in 10 voters say they will vote to send a message to Trump, with 47% expressing opposition and 25% support. If the election were held today, 54% would back the Democratic House candidate in their district and 45% the Republican, a wider Democratic lead than last month's 51%-44%; among those certain to vote it is 52%-46%. Fox NewsR “7 in 10 say they will vote to send a message to Trump, with nearly twice as many expressing opposition (47%) as support (25%).”“The race narrows among those saying they are certain to vote, with the Democratic candidate ahead by 52%-46%.” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “If elections were held today, 54 percent would back the Democratic candidate in the House compared to 45 percent who would support the Republican, according to the poll.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Mixed · 2Democrats lead on 10 of 13 issues, including inflation (D+16), healthcare (D+22) and gas prices (D+12), while Republicans keep advantages on crime (10 points) and border security (8 points). Congress is approved by 15% and disapproved by 84%, and both parties are viewed unfavourably. Fox NewsR “Democrats lead on 10 out of 13 issue concerns.”“Republicans retain the advantage on crime (by 10 points) and border security (R+8)” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “Republicans are more trusted on border security, crime and immigration, according to the poll.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Right · 1Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, said "Republicans have time to close these apparent gaps, but it’s getting late." Fox NewsR “"Republicans have time to close these apparent gaps, but it’s getting late."” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The poll surveyed 1,202 registered voters with a margin of error of ±2.5 points, and Newsweek set it beside other recent surveys: Economist/YouGov at 38% approval, Reuters/Ipsos at 32% and Pew at 30%. Fox NewsR “this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,202 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file.” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump's approval at 32 percent versus 65 percent disapproval.”“A Pew Research Center poll finds Trump's approval at 30 percent, also a new second-term low” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek quoted two political scientists. Columbia's Robert Y. Shapiro said the poll "shows how dire the situation is for Republicans" and urged Trump to address tariffs and the Iran war; Syracuse's Grant Reeher said it was "Not a big deal from where he was at recently, just a new low by a percentage point or two." Newsweek said it asked the White House for comment; no response is reported. NewsweekN “shows how dire the situation is for Republicans, in that whatever Trump has been trying to do to help them is clearly not working.”“Not a big deal from where he was at recently, just a new low by a percentage point or two.”“Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Wednesday night for comment.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek leads on Trump's record-low approval and adds academic commentary and other national polls for context.
- Emphasis
- The overall 36% approval, expert quotes on what Trump can do, and comparisons with Economist/YouGov, Reuters/Ipsos and Pew.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Less detail on issue-by-issue disapproval and the party-trust margins; carries a disapproval figure that Fox's text attaches only to foreign policy. No White House response is reported.
- Charged language
- “dire”
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Fox's own pollster write-up frames the results as a warning for the GOP: cost-of-living worries and low ratings leave the incumbent party vulnerable.
- Emphasis
- Detailed breakdowns of issue trust, party favourability, subgroups, Hispanic voters and the narrower race among certain voters; the cost of living and its effect on Republicans.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Offers no outside expert commentary or comparison with other pollsters.
- Charged language
- “double haters”“Remarkably”
- For example
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“When voters rate the economy and the president negatively just weeks before Election Day, the incumbent party is vulnerable, and that’s certainly the case in the latest Fox News survey.” — Fox News
What every side reports
- Fox News poll of 1,202 registered voters, Oct. 9-12, margin of error 2.5 points
- Trump's overall approval is 36%, a record low for either term
- Trump's inflation approval is 22%, a new low
- 54% would back the Democratic House candidate and 45% the Republican
- Seven in 10 voters say they will vote to send a message to Trump
- Roughly six in 10 name cost of living as their top economic concern; 55% say inflation is not at all under control
Where accounts differ
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Trump's disapproval figure
- Centre
- Newsweek gives a 64% disapproval rating and 22% approval among independents (78% disapprove).
- Right
- Fox lists 64% disapproval only for his handling of foreign policy (77% inflation, 70% economy); it does not give an overall disapproval figure in the text.
Fox News organisation
Fox News presents the poll, run by Democratic firm Beacon Research and Republican firm Shaw & Company Research, as showing the incumbent party exposed on cost of living.
“under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R)” — Fox News
Donald Trump person
No statement from Trump or the White House is reported; Newsweek says it asked the White House for comment.
“Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Wednesday night for comment.” — Newsweek
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Donald Trump's Approval Falls to Record Low, Fox News Poll Shows
Mixed Headline-led record-low story, supplemented by expert opinion, some critical of Trump's strategy, and other polls.
Right1 article
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Fox News Poll: Cost-of-living concerns weigh on GOP in midterms
Neutral Pollster's data-heavy report framing cost of living as a burden for Republicans in the midterms.
- 14 Oct 23:00 First Fox NewsR Fox News Poll: Cost-of-living concerns weigh on GOP in midterms
- 15 Oct 04:31 +5h 32m NewsweekN Donald Trump's Approval Falls to Record Low, Fox News Poll Shows
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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