President Donald Trump's approval ratings plummeted to a record low of 31% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll and 33% in a Washington Post-ABC poll in October 2026, just over two weeks before the November midterm elections, amidst controversy over his foreign policy decisions regarding Russia and Ukraine. These figures, combined with a 12-point Democratic lead in generic congressional ballot surveys, indicate significant political challenges for Republicans as they approach the midterms.

What the records show

Concurrently, President Trump faced criticism for his foreign policy actions concerning Russia and Ukraine. He blocked numerous sanctions on Russia two days before they were scheduled to take effect. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly accused Trump of pushing Ukraine toward surrender to Russia. Zelensky stated, regarding the perception that Washington sought an end to the war at Ukraine's expense, "But that's how it looks". Reports also indicated that the U.S. had limited a key technology that Ukraine relies on.

The timeline

What changed and for whom

What the subject has said publicly

What we could not confirm