What is the current state of US politics?

The State of US Politics (as of mid-September 2026)

The overarching story: Midterms loom, and Trump is deeply unpopular.

President Trump is nearing the two-year mark of his second, nonconsecutive term, and his approval ratings have been sliding steadily. Trump's approval rating in September 2026 stands at roughly 37.8% approve, 58.4% disapprove, a net of -20.6 points, according to polling averages, and other surveys put him even lower — a majority of Americans disapprove of the job he is doing in his second term, with 59% disapproving and 35% approving. His decline has been driven partly by economic strain: May 2026 marked the sharpest single-month decline and the lowest approval of either Trump term, driven by tariff-driven inflation and stagflation-like conditions with GDP growth of +2.0% alongside PCE inflation hitting 4.5%. Notably, his approval among independents has declined 14 points from his inaugural-period level and now sits below the 36% threshold that preceded Democrats' 41-seat wave gain in 2018 — a troubling sign for Republicans heading into November.

Congress: Narrow GOP control, all eyes on November 3.

Republicans currently control both chambers, but by thin margins. Heading into the 2026 general elections, Republicans control both chambers of Congress, holding a 53–45 majority in the Senate, while two independents caucus with the Democrats, effectively giving Democrats 47 votes for organizational purposes. In the House, Republicans have a 218-214 majority, with three vacancies. Democrats have a real path to flipping the House, needing only a handful of seats, though Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to win a Senate majority. NPR notes bluntly that President Trump's unpopularity and Democratic enthusiasm means control of Congress is on the ballot.

The 119th Congress has been eventful and turbulent this year, marked by resignations, deaths, and scandal: Senator Markwayne Mullin resigned in March after confirmation as DHS Secretary; Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned in April amid sexual misconduct allegations; Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigned after a fraud indictment; Rep. David Scott (D-GA) died in April; and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died in July. In a historic first, King Charles III addressed a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2026, becoming the first British monarch to do so since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991.

Government dysfunction: back-to-back shutdowns over immigration enforcement.

Fiscal fights this year were unusually severe. Two shutdowns of the U.S. federal government occurred in 2026, both stemming from congressional disputes over federal immigration enforcement reforms following the killing of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection agents. The first shutdown lasted four days from January 31 to February 3, affecting about half of all federal departments, while the second, from February 14 to April 30, was limited to the Department of Homeland Security and stemmed from a stalemate in immigration negotiations. That second shutdown became historic in length — reaching 41 days as of March 27, 2026, making it the longest partial government shutdown on record before eventually being resolved on April 30.

Redistricting wars and the midterm map.

A major mid-decade redistricting fight is reshaping House battlegrounds. Four states — California, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas — are using different congressional maps for 2026 than in 2024 because they voluntarily underwent mid-decade redistricting, and Ohio and Utah will also use new maps due to state law and litigation, respectively. This followed a Supreme Court ruling that reshaped Southern representation: the Louisiana v. Callais decision allowed several Republican-led Southern states to eliminate majority-Black congressional districts, and with Republicans gaining a clear advantage for the 2026 elections, Democrats have turned their focus to state legislatures in key states hoping to regain the redistricting advantage for 2028.

Other notable political flashpoints:

Bottom line: US politics right now is dominated by a bruising run-up to the November 3, 2026 midterms, with an unpopular president, a fragile GOP congressional majority, a historic redistricting battle, recent record-breaking government shutdowns tied to immigration enforcement controversies, and ongoing tension over domestic security deployments and political violence.