Pew polling puts Trump's approval at 30% in early October

Trump's approval rating fell to 30% in early October, according to Pew Research Center polling. The last president with a comparable rating this close to midterm elections was Harry Truman in 1946.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released earlier this month found that only 26% of U.S. adults supported Trump's handling of the economy.

Pew Research Center found that 84% of registered voters considered the economy a very important issue for their midterm vote. Foreign policy received that designation from a smaller majority, 57%.

The 2022 midterms offer a caution about expectations. Joe Biden's approval stood at 40% in Gallup polling, and Republicans were widely expected to make major gains. They gained nine House seats, fewer than many had predicted, while Democrats gained one Senate seat.

Enns cautions that presidential approval and voting-intention polls capture a moment in time and draw on representative samples of likely or registered voters.