US midterms: 53% of American voters say their financial condition has worsened under Trump, poll reveals
US midterms: 53% say finances worsened under Trump
Theindiapostdaily.com – US midterms loom on the horizon, and a new Focaldata poll of 1,913 registered voters — conducted August 7–10, 2026, and published by the Financial Times on Sunday — reveals that a majority of Americans believe their wallets have suffered since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Specifically, 53 per cent of respondents said their personal financial condition had deteriorated, compared with 26 per cent who reported little change and 21 per cent who felt things had improved. The findings arrive weeks before the November US midterms and underscore the economic anxiety that could shape turnout.
How Partisans See Their Own Finances
The partisan divide in the survey was stark. Seventy-eight per cent of Democrats described their financial situation as worse than before, while 57 per cent of independents shared that view. Republicans painted a contrasting picture: 42 per cent said they were better off, 35 per cent saw no meaningful difference, and only 23 per cent acknowledged a decline.
Economic Direction and Job Approval
On the macroeconomic front, 64 per cent of all respondents judged the US economy to be heading in the wrong direction, against 25 per cent who saw it on the right track and 11 per cent undecided. The partisan split tracked the finances question closely: 86 per cent of Democrats and 67 per cent of independents pointed to the wrong trajectory, while 53 per cent of Republicans believed the economy was on course and 37 per cent disagreed.
Trump's overall job approval remained under strain. At least 55 per cent of registered voters disapproved of his presidential performance — a figure that included 20 per cent of his own party. His net approval among Republicans had slipped eight percentage points from the prior month, a signal of softening support within the base heading into the US midterms.
Policy-specific disapproval ran even higher. Inflation and cost-of-living management drew 64 per cent disapproval overall, nearly seven in ten among independents, and roughly a third of Republicans. Jobs and the economy (56 per cent), healthcare (52 per cent), tariffs and trade (52 per cent), and immigration and border security (45 per cent) all registered notable disapproval levels.
Inflation Context and the US-Iran War
The report noted that consumer price growth had decelerated modestly from the prior month, aided by falling fuel costs. Even so, the inflation rate sat at 3.4 per cent — above the level inherited from predecessor Joe Biden when Trump assumed office the previous year. Voter unease deepened further after Trump initiated the US-Iran war, a conflict the report linked to elevated borrowing costs and higher prices on fuel and other consumer goods.
Trump's Earlier Dismissal of Midterm Stakes
Months before this poll, the president had tried to minimise the electoral significance of November. Speaking in May — nearly two months after the US-Iran war commenced — he downplayed the domestic political fallout:
"They thought they were going to outwait me, you know? We'll outwait him; he's got the midterms."
He added:
"I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night; that was a prelude to the midterms. People understand it."
With US-Iran negotiations stalled and the elections now only months away, the central question for the US midterms is whether the Republican president can reverse the tide of voter sentiment captured in this latest survey.
FAQ
What does the Focaldata poll say about voter finances?
53 per cent of 1,913 registered voters said their financial condition worsened under Trump, 26 per cent reported little change, and 21 per cent said things improved. The survey was fielded August 7–10, 2026, and reported by the Financial Times.
How does economic-direction approval differ by party?
Among Democrats, 86 per cent said the economy is heading in the wrong direction; among independents, 67 per cent agreed. Among Republicans, 53 per cent said the economy is on the right track and 37 per cent disagreed.
When are the US midterms scheduled?
The US midterms are scheduled for November 2026, weeks after the poll was conducted. The survey