What is the current state of US politics?

Current State of US Politics (as of September 2026)

Government Trifecta & Control
Since 2025, the Republican Party has held the Senate, House of Representatives, and the presidency. However, this unified control has been marked by significant turbulence heading into the midterms.

Trump's Approval Ratings
President Trump's approval has been sliding throughout 2026. His job approval, which stood above 50% when he took office for his second term, has fallen to around 40% while public disapproval has risen by 13 points—from 44% to 57%. Polling data from November 2025 showed President Trump's approval rating is just 39%, his lowest since right after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. By mid-2026, some polls put him even lower — with Trump's approval at 38.6%, the generic ballot at D+6, consumer confidence at 57, and Medicaid cuts polling at -59 net.

Government Shutdown
The nation experienced the tail end of the nation's longest government shutdown, with blame split across party lines. A combined 6-in-10 blame congressional Republicans or Trump for the government shutdown. A federal judge has also weighed in on related election issues — a federal judge ordered that the U.S. Postal Service not implement Trump's executive order limiting mail balloting, adding another obstacle to the administration's effort to rewrite election rules as the Supreme Court is poised to weigh in on the matter.

2026 Midterm Elections Outlook
Democrats currently hold a substantial polling advantage heading into the November 3, 2026 midterms. Democrats currently have a 14-point lead against the Republicans among registered voters nationally on the 2026 generic congressional ballot question, the first time in more than three years that Democrats have had a notable advantage on this question. Democrats need only 5 net House seats to flip the majority, and every major historical model points to a Democratic gain of 20–35+ House seats and a Senate toss-up leaning Democratic.

The GOP recently held its convention amid this challenging environment — the two day Republican convention in Dallas showcased the party's biggest asset in trying to win competitive midterm races and its greatest obstacle: President Trump. At the convention, Vice President Vance used his remarks to urge voters to back Republicans, even if they disagree.

Top Voter Concerns
Economic issues dominate voter priorities. Nearly 6-in-10 say Trump's top priority should be lowering prices — and no other issue comes close. Polling shows about two-thirds of voters believe the Trump administration has fallen short on the economy, the cost of living and looking out for the middle class, though the only issue on which the administration received positive results was border security and immigration, where 51% said Trump lived up to the expectations and 44% said he fell short.

Federal Workforce & Policy Disruption
The DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) initiative has caused notable fallout: the Department of Government Efficiency's federal workforce reductions — approximately 200,000 federal jobs eliminated or restructured — generated significant local economic disruption in areas with high federal employment concentration, with cuts to VA services and Social Security Administration staffing resonating negatively with military-adjacent and senior-heavy districts, and DOGE polling showing net -25 to -35 in most battleground-district surveys.

Other Notable Developments

Bottom line: The political environment strongly resembles a classic "wave" midterm setup unfavorable to the party in power, driven primarily by economic discontent, controversy over the government shutdown, and eroding presidential approval — though Republicans retain unified federal control for now heading into November's elections.