Fox News Poll Shows Economic Concerns Impacting GOP Ahead of Midterms

<p>A recent Fox News survey indicates that the incumbent party may be vulnerable as voters express negative views about the economy just weeks before Election Day. According to the poll, 60% of voters cite the cost of living as their primary economic concern, surpassing other issues such as government spending (15%), jobs (7%), income inequality (7%), tariffs (6%), and taxes (5%).</p><p>Majorities of respondents rate the economy negatively (74%) and anticipate it will worsen in the coming year (53%). Additionally, 66% of voters express dissatisfaction with the current state of the country, and only 18% believe their family is better off than two years ago. Among independents, 52% feel worse off, and 70% expect the economy to decline further.</p><p>The survey reveals that 55% of voters believe inflation is "not at all" under control, an increase from 45% earlier this year, including 30% of Republicans. President Donald Trump's approval rating on inflation has dropped to 22%, marking a new low, down from 36% last summer. Disapproval ratings for Trump on inflation stand at 77%, with 70% disapproving of his handling of the economy and 69% of tariffs.</p><p>Trump's overall job approval is at 36%, the lowest recorded in a Fox News survey for either of his terms. This decline is particularly notable among voters under 45, those with incomes below $50,000, non-White voters, and individuals without a college degree. Approval among Republicans is at 76%, down 3 points since last month and 12 points since September 2025.</p><p>As is typical in midterm elections, voters appear inclined to penalize the party in power, with 70% indicating they will vote to send a message to Trump. The poll shows that if the election were held today, 54% of voters would support the Democratic candidate in their House district, while 45% would back the Republican candidate, a wider lead than last month.</p><p>Self-identification among voters is nearly equal, with 43% identifying as Democrats and 41% as Republicans. Both parties report similar levels of certainty about voting (62% for Democrats and 64% for Republicans), though a higher percentage of Democrats (61%) express extreme interest in the election compared to Republicans (52%).</p><p>Party loyalty remains strong, with 98% of Democrats supporting their party's candidate and 94% of Republicans doing the same. Independents favor Democrats by a margin of 26 points. The Democratic candidate is preferred among White voters with a degree, those under 45, women, union households, and Hispanics, while the Republican candidate leads among White voters without a college degree, those aged 65 and older, regular church attendees, military veterans, and White evangelical Christians.</p><p>Support for Trump among Hispanic voters has decreased from 43% in the 2024 election to 31% this year. Republican pollster Daron Shaw noted that slight differences in voter turnout and defection rates could significantly affect the election outcome. Despite the Democrats' advantage on various issues, only 35% believe they have a clear plan to address the country's problems, compared to 33% for Republicans.</p><p>Voter approval of Congress stands at 15%, with 84% disapproving, a slight improvement from a low of 9% in October 2013. Both parties face negative perceptions, with the Democratic Party rated favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 58%, while the GOP has a net negative rating of 23 points (38% favorable, 61% unfavorable).</p><p>Voter sentiment shows that 51% have a favorable view of capitalism compared to 32% for socialism. Early voters favor the Democratic candidate by 19 points, while mail-in voters support them by 33 points. Six in ten oppose U.S. military action against Iran, favoring the Democrats by 56 points. Additionally, 46% believe the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, with those voters favoring the Democratic candidate by 42 points.</p><p>The poll was conducted from October 9-12, 2026, with a sample size of 1,202 registered voters. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is ±2.5 percentage points.</p><p>Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.</p>