Photo: Joseph Prezioso / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Nearly half of voters in the 2026 midterm elections said their votes were meant as a rebuke of President Donald Trump, according to early results from the NBC News Exit Poll. The poll found that forty-three percent of voters cited opposition to Trump as a reason for their vote—a much higher share than in the 2018 midterm during his first term.
The president’s job approval rating on election day was at 37%, according to The New York Times. More than sixty percent of voters said they disapproved of Trump’s performance, with disapproval up twelve points since 2020. In several battleground states—including Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, and Texas—majorities of Senate voters said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the job, with a greater share expressing disapproval compared to 2018.
Economic anxiety played a significant role in shaping voter attitudes. The NBC News Exit Poll shows most voters said inflation is causing hardship for their families, and many specifically blamed Trump for rising prices. The economy was ranked as the most important issue by thirty-nine percent of voters, followed by the state of democracy. About seventy-five percent said the nation’s economy is in rough shape, and sixty-five percent believe Trump’s policies have made things worse.
Political party favorability also hit new lows, with fifty-four percent of voters holding unfavorable views of the Democratic Party and fifty-nine percent holding unfavorable views of the Republican Party. Almost one in five voters said they do not have favorable opinions of either party, according to the NBC poll.
Democrats were seen as better able to handle issues such as the economy, foreign policy, healthcare, government corruption, and transgender policies, while Republicans held an advantage on immigration. On issues like artificial intelligence and taxes, voters were split.
The polls also highlighted changes among key voting groups. The share of Latino voters identifying as Democrats rose to forty-three percent, reversing a downward trend since 2018. Young voters also appeared to shift back toward the Democratic Party after supporting Trump in larger numbers during the 2024 presidential election.