Skip to content

PoliticsDeveloping

Trump’s approval falls to new low in polls before midterm elections

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 9 outlets across the spectrum.

14 articles in total, 3 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Trump’s job approval has fallen to a record low in polls released in October, two weeks before the November midterm elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll puts his approval at 31 percent, down one point from its previous survey two weeks earlier. Other polls cited in the coverage put approval between 33 and 36 percent, and a Center Square Voters Voice Poll found 55 percent disapprove of his job performance. Polls cited by left-leaning outlets show Democrats ahead on the congressional ballot. Coverage across the spectrum says Republicans risk losing control of the House, and possibly the Senate, in November.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Reuters/Ipsos polling puts Trump’s approval at 31 percent, a record low, two weeks before the midterm elections.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    The Hill, France 24

  2. Polls cited in the coverage put Trump’s approval between 31 and 36 percent.

    Reported byFar Left1Left2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The New Republic
    Left
    TheGrio, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  3. Polls cited by left-leaning outlets show Democrats leading on the congressional ballot.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The New Republic
    Left
    Al Jazeera English, The New York Times

  4. Republicans face the risk of losing control of the House, and possibly the Senate, in the midterm elections.

    Reported byFar Left1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Center
    The Hill, France 24

  5. Polls cited on the right put disapproval of Trump’s job performance at 55 and 59 percent.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    Washington Examiner, The Center Square

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports that Trump’s approval has hit a new low two weeks before the midterms, with polls ranging from 31 to 36 percent. Left coverage stresses Democratic leads and Republican infighting, center coverage the risk to the House and Senate, and right-side coverage majority disapproval tied to the economy.

  • the left

    4 outlets · 2 opinion

    Left headlines lead with record-low approval and Democratic poll leads; Far Left opinion pieces add harsher words such as brutal and humiliating.

    Trump approval hits record-low 31 percent, polls show Republican struggles
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines state the record low and the midterm stakes in plain terms, with no judging adjectives.

    Trump approval at record low 31 percent ahead of midterms: Survey
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Right headlines lead with majority disapproval and the economy, citing poll results; the Washington Examiner also notes the new low.

    Poll: More than half of Americans disapprove of Trump, economy
    The Center SquareRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left7

    abysmaldebacleBrutalTruly Humiliating

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    abysmalMore neutral: low

    Adds a strongly negative judgement to a poll figure that can be stated plainly.

    Donald Trump’s approval just sank to an abysmal 33-66 in the new Washington Post poll, a record low in Post polling.

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    debacleMore neutral: setback

    Characterizes the situation with a judgement rather than reporting its facts.

    Small wonder that Republicans are leaking to Politico that they blame this debacle squarely on Trump.

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    BrutalMore neutral: record low

    Brutal is a loaded adjective that adds drama beyond the poll numbers reported.

    Trump Hits Brutal New Polling Low—and GOP Leaks Grow Truly Humiliating

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Truly HumiliatingMore neutral: growing GOP leaks

    Calls the GOP leaks humiliating, a judgement the reported facts do not state.

    Trump Hits Brutal New Polling Low—and GOP Leaks Grow Truly Humiliating

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    deeply unpopularMore neutral: opposed by many Americans

    Presents the war's unpopularity as a settled judgement in the outlet's own voice.

    …to a record low, a sign that Americans angry about rising living costs amid the deeply unpopular US-Israel war on Iran could punish his party at the upcoming midterm elections.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    plummetMore neutral: fall

    Plummet is a dramatic verb where fall describes the same movement plainly.

    Trump’s approval ratings plummet: what that means for the US midterms

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    EruptsMore neutral: emerges

    Erupts suggests a sudden outburst that the coverage does not describe.

    Transcript: Trump Hits Brutal Poll Low—and MAGA Finger-Pointing Erupts

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

Words quoted from someone else (3)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    mass chaosMore neutral: internal disagreement

    Dramatic description of internal Republican disagreement that goes beyond what the reported leaks establish.

    They describe a situation of mass chaos created by Trump’s constantly shifting obsessions.

    Quoted byThe New Republic (Far Left)

    These are Republicans quoted by Politico’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded verb

    Quoted

    crateringMore neutral: falling

    Describes the poll movement with a collapse image rather than the figures given.

    New polls show Donald Trump cratering and the Democratic lead growing.

    Quoted byThe New Republic (Far Left)

    These are Greg Sargent’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    more humiliatingMore neutral: more public

    Characterizes GOP leaks with a judgement about their effect on the president.

    The GOP leaks of panic are growing more humiliating for the president.

    Quoted byThe New Republic (Far Left)

    These are Greg Sargent’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • record-low approval
  • Democratic leads in polls
  • GOP infighting and leaks

Leaves out

  • Gas prices and the war in Iran
  • Right-side poll showing 55 percent disapproval

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • 31 percent record low
  • Risk to the House and Senate
  • Midterm stakes

Leaves out

  • Gas prices and the war in Iran
  • Economic disapproval figures from the Center Square poll

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Trump approval at new lows in polling days before midterms

    President Trump’s approval rating has hit new lows shortly before this year's midterms, according to fresh polls from The New York Times/Siena University and CNN. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from The Hill
  • France 24Center

    US midterm elections: Trump approval rating falls to new low

    With US President Donald Trump’s approval rating falling to a record low of 31%, Republicans are facing mounting concerns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Republicans are at risk of losing control of the House of Representatives, but how big could the Democrats’ gains be? …

    Read at France 24 (opens in a new tab)
  • Sky NewsCenter

    Trump's approval rating hits new record low as US midterms loom

    Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record low - indicating that next month's midterm elections could be punishing for the Republicans.

    Read at Sky News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Majority disapproval
  • Economy and inflation
  • Gas prices and the war in Iran

Leaves out

  • Democratic leads in congressional ballot polls
  • Reuters/Ipsos 31 percent figure

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Poll: More than half of Americans disapprove of Trump, economy

    (The Center Square) - More than half of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, including his handling of the economy, according to a new poll.

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Trump’s approval rating reaches new low despite midterm campaign push

    President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a new low ahead of the midterm elections, with voters expressing widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy, rising gas prices, and the war in Iran. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    TheGrio, Oct 19, 3:22 PM EDT

  • Center

    8 hr 39 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 12:01 AM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 17 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 21, 8:57 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. TheGrioLeftOct 19, 3:22 PM EDT
  2. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 19, 4:59 PM EDT
  3. HuffPostFar LeftOct 19, 7:45 PM EDT
  4. Sky NewsCenterOct 20, 12:01 AM EDT
  5. The HillCenterOct 20, 7:43 AM EDT
  6. France 24CenterOct 20, 11:22 AM EDT
  7. Washington ExaminerRightOct 21, 8:57 AM EDT
  8. The Center SquareRightOct 21, 9:30 AM EDT
  9. The GuardianLeftOct 21, 10:27 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page