Just 24% of Hispanic Americans approve of President Donald Trump's job performance. That marks the lowest share of his two presidential terms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday, Oct. 5, less than a month before the November 3 midterm elections.
The six-day survey found that 32% of Americans overall approve of Trump's presidency. That figure hasn't changed since a September Reuters/Ipsos poll recorded the lowest rating of his political career. The slide hasn't reversed. It's hardened.
Who Is Feeling the Squeeze
The poll report linked the erosion in support to a familiar kitchen-table problem: high inflation, which followed Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. Consumer prices spiked after gasoline and diesel costs surged in the wake of the war he launched in February. Cost of living ranked as the top issue for Americans deciding how to vote next month.
Households with little room to absorb a jump at the pump or grocery store feel that pressure hardest. The political fallout is showing up among voters who mattered enormously to Trump two years ago. Hispanic voters helped propel him to victory in the 2024 presidential contest, when he won nearly half of the Hispanic vote, compared with roughly one-third in 2020.
Now they're heading the other way. Among Hispanic registered voters, 26% plan to vote Republican in the midterms, while 52% plan to vote Democratic. That's about twice the Republican share, and it marks the largest Democratic advantage among this group since Trump took office.
A Wider Democratic Lead
Across all registered voters, Democrats lead Republicans 44% to 37%. Independents lean the same way: Democrats hold a 37% to 21% advantage, with 28% still undecided.
Age offers another warning sign for the party in power. Voters 50 or older preferred Trump's party by just 2 percentage points, 44% to 42%, compared with an 8-point Republican advantage in December. Older Americans have historically made up large shares of the midterm electorate, so a narrowing gap there matters. Among voters under 50, Democrats lead by 18 points.
What's at Stake in November
The election will determine control of both chambers of Congress during the last two years of Trump's current term. Republicans were bracing for a difficult performance. Many analysts had predicted Democrats would take a majority in the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate was increasingly seen as up for grabs.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 4,506 U.S. adults online nationwide. Its margin of error is about two percentage points.
Why This Matters:
The numbers point to a government whose economic choices are landing on voters' budgets. When a war launched in February sends fuel prices climbing and inflation follows, ordinary households carry the cost, and the poll suggests they're holding the White House accountable. The shift among Hispanic voters stands out, since many in that group backed Trump in 2024 and now say they'll vote against his party. Midterms are one of the few moments when voters can check executive power directly. With control of both chambers of Congress at stake, the outcome will shape whether the final two years of this term bring greater oversight of the administration's decisions or less. For families already stretched by rising costs, that question isn't abstract.