PoliticsTrump increasingly appears to be pursuing unpopular moves ahead of the 2026 midterms
CNN’s Aaron Blake writes that it increasingly feels as though President Donald Trump is trying to do unpopular things before the 2026 midterm elections.
President of the United States
President of the United States (2017–)
| Born | 1946-06-14 · Queens |
|---|---|
| Party | Republican |
| Offices |
|
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) |
| Occupation | Politician, Businessman, Media personality |
The latest five surveys as each pollster published them, compiled by VoteHub (CC BY 4.0) and retrieved 2026-10-31. We only display them — no calculation, weighting or editing. A single survey often reports all adults and registered voters separately, so the same pollster and dates can appear twice; where approve and disapprove add up to less than 100%, the rest were unsure or did not answer.
| Pollster | Dates | Sample | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RMG Research2026-09-28 – 2026-10-06 registered voters · 2,000 | 2026-09-28 – 2026-10-06 | registered voters · 2,000 | 43% | 56% |
| Pew Research Center2026-09-30 – 2026-10-04 adults · 5,062 | 2026-09-30 – 2026-10-04 | adults · 5,062 | 30% | 68% |
| TIPP Insights2026-08-25 – 2026-08-28 adults · 1,461 | 2026-08-25 – 2026-08-28 | adults · 1,461 | 38% | 52% |
| Ipsos2026-08-21 – 2026-08-24 registered voters · 951 | 2026-08-21 – 2026-08-24 | registered voters · 951 | 37% | 63% |
| Ipsos2026-08-21 – 2026-08-24 adults · 1,215 | 2026-08-21 – 2026-08-24 | adults · 1,215 | 33% | 65% |
What this person said on the record, as reported, newest first.

At a campaign rally, Donald Trump urged voters to send Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed “back to where he came from.” El-Sayed, who was born and raised in Michigan, is running against Republican Mike Rogers.
AAl Jazeera

At a White House meeting with Stephen Hubbard, Donald Trump praised Russia for agreeing to release the American. Trump said he made an impromptu request to Vladimir Putin, who agreed and was “very nice” about it. Hubbard had been convicted in Russia of fighting on the side of Ukrainian forces.
TTASS

Trump said the US was investigating whether North Korean hackers carried out a $6.3 billion heist targeting Binance, an incident that has shaken the cryptocurrency world.
B
Bloomberg News

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says four tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says the war on Iran will “get wrapped up soon.”
AAl Jazeera

President Donald Trump said the United States is not lifting restrictions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund for now. Speaking at the White House with recently released American Stephen Hubbard, Trump said he was pleased about Hubbard’s release and called those who wanted him to sanction Russia “stupid people.”
TTASS

The broadcast reports Rubio’s warning that the world faces interconnected economic and geopolitical threats and says the G20 needs to work together on disruptions to food markets, supply chains and trade. Trump said on October 30 that the conflict with Iran would end soon and that Washington must ensure Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons. It also reports aid entering occupied Oleshky, evacuations of civilians, and Spain’s investigation into its second fatal high-speed train crash this year.
VVOA Chinese

After a $6.3 billion hack of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, calls for legislation are growing. President Trump says the incident is being investigated.
TThe Block

Donald Trump insulted a Reuters reporter’s appearance and called him “disgusting” after the reporter asked why Trump had canceled two upcoming campaign events. A day later, Trump rescheduled rallies in Kansas and Iowa.
GGuardian News

ExxonMobil and Chevron, the two largest U.S. oil companies, reported exceptionally large profits as oil prices stayed sharply elevated because of the U.S. war with Iran. Trump promoted the benefits of high oil prices.
N
NBC News

Donald Trump said he believes the war with Iran will end soon, whatever the way it is brought to a close. He said Iran must reach a deal and that the United States needs a guarantee it will never have a nuclear weapon.
TTASS
Reports that mention this person, by story.
CNN’s Aaron Blake writes that it increasingly feels as though President Donald Trump is trying to do unpopular things before the 2026 midterm elections.
President Donald Trump travels to Houston to present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II astronauts. The crew completed a historic 10-day flight test that took them around the moon.

President Donald Trump says he has signed an order directing that Lake Ontario be known as “Lake America” in the United States, as he escalates his trade war with Canada.

Public Citizen reported that investors across Trump’s crypto ventures are collectively $4.7 billion underwater, while Trump earned $1.4 billion.

Seven Palestine Action activists have reportedly been charged with malicious property damage aggravated by a “terrorist connection” after a March 2025 protest at Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort in Ayrshire. They spray-painted pro-Gaza messages, damaged turf and sprinklers, and used weedkiller on the greens. An initial hearing is due in Glasgow on August 31.

President Trump called the International Space Station from Houston, Texas.

Donald Trump’s plan to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods from 1 January has alarmed leaders and residents in Detroit and across Michigan. Polling shows strong opposition to the tariffs, which critics say would hurt both economies and could damage Republicans in the midterm elections, where several close Michigan races may decide control of Congress.

Uncertainty remains over whether President Donald Trump can carry out his executive order restricting mail-in voting. But if he succeeds, the measure would make life harder for rural Americans, one of the Republican Party’s most loyal voting blocs.
President Trump takes part in the presentation of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in Houston, Texas.

A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s overhaul of mail-voting rules for a second time, days before midterm ballots are due to be sent. The judge said states lacked the time and money to redesign ballots, update election systems and train officials. A new hearing is set for September 3.
