What is the current state of US politics?

Current State of US Politics (as of September 2026)

Government Funding
A near-term crisis was narrowly averted: President Trump signed a stopgap spending bill into law on September 2, 2026, funding the federal government at current levels through December 11 and averting what would have been a third major shutdown threat at the October 1 fiscal year deadline. This came after a rough year — the first shutdown lasted four days from January 31 to February 3, affecting about half of all federal departments, while a second, DHS-specific shutdown lasted from February 14 to April 30, both stemming from disputes over immigration enforcement reform. The next funding cliff is December 11, 2026, with lawmakers having made clear they wanted the fight over full-year fiscal 2027 appropriations pushed past the November midterm elections.

Trump's Approval Ratings
The president is deeply underwater heading into the midterms. As of September 18, 2026, Trump's approval rating has steadily declined to an average of 37-39%, with polling averages showing roughly 38% approval versus 59.6% disapproval — though his net approval is up slightly from an all-time low of -20.6, a net approval of -19.5 is still far from popular. Notably, a Financial Times/Focaldata poll found a significant decline in his support among his base—41% of Republicans strongly approve of Trump's job performance, down from 52% in the spring. The poll reaffirmed the cost of living as the most important issue in the upcoming midterms, with a plurality (47%) saying it's their top concern, while Trump continues to log poor ratings on his handling of the economy—71% disapproval/22% approval.

2026 Midterms
Control of Congress is up for grabs, with all 435 House seats and 35 of 100 Senate seats contested, plus 39 gubernatorial and attorney general elections. Primaries are wrapping up (concluded September 15), and the political environment looks tough for Republicans: the GOP performed worse than expected in the November 2025 general elections. Republicans are spending heavily to shore up formerly safe seats — two Trump-aligned super PACs have reserved more than $150 million in ads, primarily in deep red House and Senate races that have now become competitive. There's also unusually high congressional turnover: close to 100 lawmakers who started this Congress will not be around for the next one, driven by record-setting retirements and primary defeats.

Press Freedom Tensions
The White House has escalated conflict with media outlets: three reporters were blocked from White House grounds after Trump said CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would be banned for reporting "FICTION and LIES," with the president threatening bans on other media companies could be coming.

Election Integrity Disputes
Lawsuits are emerging over voting access, with a new lawsuit arguing the Trump administration's repeated suggestions that federal officers could be at polling sites is a form of illegal voter intimidation.

Foreign Policy
Tensions with Iran remain a live issue and a drag on Trump's numbers — the nonstop news cycle of claiming the war with Iran is over while fighting continues is wearing on the public, contributing to a significant drop in Republican support for Trump's handling of the Iran war, down 18 points among Republicans and 21 points among MAGA Republicans.

Bottom line: The US is in a highly charged pre-midterm environment marked by a historically unpopular president, repeated government funding standoffs tied to immigration policy fights, an unusually contentious relationship between the White House and press, and a Republican Party bracing for potentially significant midterm losses in November.