What is the current state of US politics?

I'll give you a snapshot of US politics right now — pulling the latest on the White House, Congress, and the key issues shaping the landscape.

As of September 16, 2026, the United States is in a divided, highly polarized election-year politics centered on the 2026 midterm elections:

1. Executive Branch - Second Trump Term

President Donald Trump is serving his second term. Commentary describes him as continuing to try to centralize power on both domestic and foreign policy, including leaning hard on media organizations, universities, law firms and going around Congress.

He turns 80 this summer and is ineligible to run in 2028. Analysis notes that if Democrats take back the House he gets closer to being a lame duck.

Approval rating is low by historical standards in late summer 2026:

Trump's handling of the economy was at 36% in an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.

2. Legislative Branch - Republican Control of Congress

Heading into the 2026 general elections, Republicans control both chambers of Congress. 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. The same breakdown is reported as 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats, with two independents who caucus with Democrats effectively giving Democrats 47 votes.

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.

Congressional approval was at 16% at end of August according to Ballotpedia.

3. The 2026 Midterm Elections - The Central Event

Elections to the U.S. Congress will take place on November 3, 2026. All 435 districts in the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election.

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

Control thresholds:

The GOP is described as eager to advance President Trump's agenda while they still control the House and Senate, which won't last if Democrats wrestle back control of one or both chambers after the midterm elections.

Current outlook:

A major structural factor is redistricting. President Trump started a nationwide redistricting race from California to Florida to help maintain Republican control of the House. After the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled in favor of Texas lawmakers, Republicans head into the 2026 election year with an edge in the redistricting fight. 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.

Confidence in elections: A narrow majority of Americans (55%) are confident that this November's midterm elections will be conducted fairly and accurately – down from 61% ahead of the 2024 elections.

4. Major Political Issues in 2026

Economy and Cost of Living dominates:
The cost of living, specifically prices, are the thing that people have been telling pollsters is far and away their top economic concern. When Americans are asked which issues are the most important to their vote in 2026, inflation and the cost of living (26%) ranks first, followed by democracy and elections (15%), jobs and the economy (14%), and deportations/immigration enforcement (12%). 69% of Americans agree that the Trump administration is focusing too much on deportations and not enough on fixing the economy, inflation, and the rising cost of living.

Immigration:
Immigration has been one of Trump's strongest issues, but approval has fallen. In March 2025, 51% approved of Trump's handling of immigration while 44% disapproved. In March 2026, 43% approved and 52% disapproved.

Democracy, Institutional Power and Polarization:
As the United States commemorates 250 years of independence in 2026, the landmark event has arrived during a time of increased political polarization.

Historical pattern noted is that the president's party typically loses ground in midterms and congressional Republicans moved in lockstep with Trump during 2025, with Democrats now favored over Republicans 40% to 35% to handle the economy.

Other active legislative items as Congress returned September 14-15, 2026 include the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R.3633) and nominations for district judges.