What is the current state of US politics?

Your question touches on fast-moving US politics — I'll gather the latest on the White House, Congress and major issues.

As of September 13, 2026, the United States is in a period of divided and highly polarized politics midway through a Republican trifecta:

1. Executive Branch - Second Trump Presidency

The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled to occur during Republican president Donald Trump's nonconsecutive second term.

The administration as of September 2026 is pursuing several high-profile policy changes:

•A new push to exclude millions of U.S. residents from a key census count that the 14th Amendment says must include the "whole number of persons in each state." This is described as a proposal for changes to the 2030 census that would reshape voting maps.

•Finalized rule preventing international students from staying in the U.S. for more than four years unless they obtain federal government's approval, effective September 2026.

•White House statements that the administration has captured nine of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives.

2. Legislative Branch - Narrow Republican Control

Heading into the 2026 general elections, Republicans control both chambers of Congress:

•Senate: They hold a 53–45 majority in the Senate, while two independents caucus with the Democrats, effectively giving the Democrats 47 votes for organizational purposes. Partisan composition of the 119th Congress is listed as 53 Republican, 45 Democratic, 2 Independent.

•House: In the House, Republicans have a 218-212 majority, with four vacancies. One member, Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), caucuses with the Republicans, effectively giving Republicans 219 votes for organizational purposes.

3. The 2026 Midterms - The Immediate Battleground

Elections to the U.S. Congress will take place on November 3, 2026. In these midterm elections, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested to determine the 120th United States Congress.

Two special elections are also scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026 to fill the last two years of the six-year terms that Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Vice President J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) were elected to in 2022.

The math for control:

•In the 2026 general elections, Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to win a majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans can lose no more than two seats to retain a majority.

•Democrats need to gain a net of three districts to win a majority in the House. Meanwhile, Republicans can lose no more than two districts and retain a majority.

As of Sept. 3, 2026, 11 incumbent senators and 60 incumbent representatives are not running for re-election in 2026. Ballotpedia is following 12 Senate seats and 46 House districts as battleground races.

Forecasts show a tight race. One Quinnipiac University National Poll released September 10, 2026 found voters favor Democrats over GOP by 11 points for control of U.S. House.

A major factor shaping the House map is an unusual wave of mid-decade redistricting:

Voting district boundaries typically are redrawn once a decade after each U.S. census, but last summer, President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw congressional districts to try to win additional seats in the midterm elections. As of July 26, 2026, six states — California , Florida , Missouri , North Carolina , Tennessee , and Texas — will use different congressional maps for the 2026 election than they did in 2024 because they voluntarily underwent mid-decade redistricting.

A poll found half of American voters say district lines should only be redrawn once a decade after the U.S. Census.

4. Public Opinion and Polarization

The political climate is described as one of increased political polarization as the United States commemorates 250 years of independence in 2026.

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 69% of Americans are dissatisfied with how things are going in the U.S., and 59% believe the country’s best days are behind it. Yet a majority (68%) still feel hopeful about the nation’s future.

President Trump's approval is low by historical standards:

•Trump’s approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% in the fall. Another Pew reading in early August 2026 put it at 34%, lower than most recent presidents at comparable points.

•Trump's approval rating over the course of his second term so far has averaged 84% among Republicans and 6% among Democrats – a 78 percentage point gap. This is nearly identical to the 80-point gap over the course of Trump’s first term.

•Trump’s approval among Republicans is now 73% – down slightly since September. Only about a quarter of Americans today (27%) say they support all or most of Trump’s policies and plans, down from 35% when he returned to office last year. That change has come entirely among Republicans.

•By more than two-to-one, Americans say the administration’s actions have been worse than they expected (50%) rather than better (21%).

•On qualities of leadership, 51% are not too or not at all confident Trump has leadership skills, while 34% are extremely or very confident, and just 21% are extremely or very confident he acts ethically in office, while 60% express little or no confidence.

Nate Silver's tracker on September 10, 2026 put Trump's net approval at -19.5, up slightly from its all time low of -20.6 but far from popular.

Partisan behavior in Congress also reflects polarization: 82% of Democrats (up from 70% last year) want to see their leaders pushing back against Trump, even if that makes it harder to address problems, while 61% of Republicans say Trump should stand up to Democratic leaders. Among Republicans, 61% now say GOP members of Congress do not have an obligation to support Trump if they disagree with him, up from 55%.

5. Top Issues for Voters in 2026

Economic issues are top of mind for voters in the midterms this year:

•In Pew's prioritization: NET Economy cited by 29, General economy 7, Immigration 7, Healthcare 5.

•More broadly, the role of money in politics (74%), health care affordability, and inflation are viewed as big problems facing the nation, with partisan gaps far larger on other issues.

•Republicans and Democrats worry about sharply different things, with illegal immigration the chief concern of Republicans, at 55%, followed by federal spending and the budget deficit (47%), while Democrats’ top concerns are healthcare (80%), income/wealth distribution (77%) and the economy (69%).

Other contested issues in 2026 include immigration enforcement, health care costs, federal spending and the budget deficit, crime, education, and the "Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA) which analysts say imposes sweeping immigration, health care and safety-net restrictions that threaten to destabilize the care economy.

In sum, U.S. politics in September 2026 is characterized by a highly competitive midterm cycle with narrow Republican majorities under threat, an unpopular incumbent president with deep partisan divides over his performance, intense battles over redistricting and census rules that will shape representation for a decade, and an electorate focused on economic affordability, health care, and immigration amid historically high polarization.

Citations (3)

1ballotpedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.89
United States Congress elections, 2026
Backs: “White House statements that the administration has captured nine of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives. 2. Legislative Branch - Narrow Republican Control”
2pew.orgNonprofits and think tanks
What's the Antidote to Political Polarization?
Backs: “A poll found half of American voters say district lines should only be redrawn once a decade after the U.S. Census. 4. Public Opinion and Polarization. The political climate is described as one of increased political polarization as the United States commemorates 250 years of independence in 2026.”
3pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Confidence in Trump Dips in 2026, and Fewer Now Say They Support His Policies and Plans | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Yet a majority (68%) still feel hopeful about the nation’s future. President Trump's approval is low by historical standards:”