Trump’s Approval Steady as Voters Focus on Costs for 2026 Midterms
Emerson College Polling finds Trump at 43% approval and 55% disapproval (up 4 points). For 2028, Newsom leads the Democratic primary (20%), followed by Buttigieg (16%), Harris (13%), AOC (9%), Shapiro (7%),Beshear (5%), with 24% undecided; in the Republican primary, JD Vance leads at 52% over Rubio (20%) and DeSantis (6%), with 11% undecided. The 2026 generic ballot shows Democrats up 50% to 42%. Cost of living is the top voter concern (mean 8.2/10), with healthcare costs and inflation also high. The poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters Feb. 21–22, 2026, MOE ±3%.