Voters reject Trump's economic record as Democrats reclaim House
Exit poll data shows strong disapproval of the president and negative views on inflation drove a 90-point Democratic margin among key voter groups.
By Kofi Costa ·
The midterms of 2026 will mark the first time Democrats hold the majority in the House since 2020. The shift reflects a electorate focused less on candidate platforms and more on a reaction to the current administration. President Donald Trump’s presence in the campaign was central to this dynamic.
ABC News Voter Polls indicate that roughly 60% of Americans who voted in House races disapprove of Trump’s performance. Among those voters, 54% strongly disapproved. This level of strong disapproval exceeds the 51% recorded for President George W. Bush in 2008. The gap between approval and disapproval was stark in voting behavior. Voters who strongly disapproved of Trump supported Democrats for the House by a 90-percentage point margin. In contrast, the 20% of voters who strongly approved of Trump backed Republicans by a 96-point margin.
Economic anxiety served as the primary driver for this opposition. Three-quarters of House voters rated the state of the economy negatively. These voters supported Democrats by 42 percentage points. Among the roughly one-third who rated the economy poorly, the Democratic lead widened to 72 points. Seven in 10 voters stated that the U.S. economic system favors the wealthy over the average American. This group supported Democrats by a three-to-one margin.
Inflation played a direct role in household decisions. About 80% of House voters reported that inflation caused severe or moderate hardship for their families in the past year. Most of these voters chose Democrats. Additionally, 63% of voters blamed Trump’s policies for higher prices rather than external factors. More voters said their family’s financial situation has worsened than improved in the past two years, a split of more than two to one in favor of the worsening view.
Partisan favorability also tilted the results. Democrats held a 47% favorability rating compared to 40% for Republicans. The Democratic advantage was most pronounced among the 15% of voters who are unfavorable of both parties. This group, often called double haters, backed Democrats by 28 percentage points. Independent voters, who make up about one-third of the electorate, supported Democrats 58% to 38%. This marks a shift from the previous two elections where independent voters split roughly evenly between the parties.
Age groups showed similar trends. Democrats improved their share of votes among those under 30. They won roughly three-quarters of these voters in 2026, compared to just over half in 2024. The data suggests that voters prioritized expressing opposition to the president over supporting specific candidates. Forty-four percent of voters said their choice was to oppose Trump, while only 16% said it was to support him. Of those expressing opposition, 97% voted for Democrats.
The polling data highlights the specific metrics that defined this election cycle. High disapproval of the president, negative views on the economy, and a preference for the Democratic brand combined to produce a decisive outcome. The numbers indicate a clear preference among voters for the opposition party in a year dominated by economic concerns and presidential unpopularity.
