Trump Approval Rating Hits Record Low of 31% as November Midterms Approach

A Reuters/Ipsos poll closed Monday found President Trump's approval rating fell to 31%, down one point from two weeks earlier and the lowest recorded across either of his presidential terms. The survey of 1,679 US adults and 1,279 registered voters, conducted online with a margin of error of two points for all respondents and three points for registered voters, showed Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot 47% to 35%, a 12-point gap that is the largest of the current election cycle. Midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.

Trump dismissed the polling as rigged and launched a rally blitz through states not previously considered competitive, including South Carolina and Kansas, warning supporters that the US would "burn" like France if Democrats won. His campaign appearances leaned heavily on unrest in France and immigration rhetoric, with Trump attributing French instability to migrants and left-wing politicians. The administration separately conducted voter fraud raids in California, with the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announcing arrests of eleven people and charges against 28 foreign nationals in total.

On the diplomatic front, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Norway this week for a new round of Ukraine peace negotiations, with Ukrainian President Zelensky expected to be in Oslo and potentially meeting Witkoff and Jared Kushner before the two envoys continue to Moscow to meet with Putin. Trump said he was open to joining a trilateral meeting with Xi Jinping and Putin. Separately, Zelensky disputed US claims that intelligence sharing with Ukraine had resumed, and the Washington Post reported the administration has not approved the transfer of interceptor missiles to Ukraine. VP JD Vance said Ukraine should not be in NATO and that US and Ukrainian interests sometimes diverge.

Trump also announced a US-Mexico trade deal is near and said the Agriculture Department will roll out an $8 billion support program for farmers facing harvest fuel costs. Early voting has begun in Alaska for a Senate race that could determine whether Republicans retain their majority in Washington.