What is the current state of US politics?

I'll pull the latest on Washington to give you a current picture of US politics.

As of late September 2026, US politics is dominated by President Donald Trump's second term and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections:

1. Executive Branch - Second Trump Administration

•The incumbent president is Republican Donald Trump, serving his second term after winning in 2024. His 2026 address was his first official State of the Union of the current presidential term.

•Approval is at historic lows heading into the midterms. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released September 21, 2026 found Trump's approval at 32% with 66% disapproving, described as the lowest point of his political career. That is down from 47% approval at the beginning of his second term in January 2025.

•Disapproval is particularly high on the economy. Only 17% approved of how Trump is handling the cost of living, and other polling in March 2026 found approximately 58% of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, as opposed to only 38% who approve.

2. Legislative Branch - Narrow Republican Majorities

•Control of Congress is determined by the 120th United States Congress.

•House: Republicans currently hold 220 seats versus Democrats' 212 seats, with 3 vacancies.

•Senate: Republicans have the majority in the Senate with 53 seats.

•Congress has been marked by gridlock and confrontation over war powers and funding:

•On September 15, 2026, the House voted 220-204 to pass a war powers resolution to limit President Trump's military actions in Iran. This was the third attempt by Congress to rein in the president's authority since the war began.

•A partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security from February 14 to April 30, 2026 lasted 76 days and became the longest funding lapse for a single federal department.

•Congress eliminated the threat of a broader government shutdown this fall when federal funding was set to run out Sept. 30, passing a continuing resolution extending funding through December 11 to avoid a shutdown ahead of the midterms.

3. The 2026 Midterms - A Referendum Election

The dominant political event is the midterm elections scheduled largely for November 3, 2026.

•What is on the ballot: 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 Congress, plus 39 state and territorial gubernatorial elections.

•Political environment: Midterm elections are usually a referendum on whichever party holds the White House, and anxieties are high among Republicans as Trump's approval ratings fall. The president's party historically faces losses in midterm elections, and Trump's approval is now underwater in every major swing state.

•Current polling: Democrats have opened a seven-point lead over Republicans ahead of the November elections according to a mid-September poll, its strongest advantage since Trump returned to the White House. Other polling shows if they were to vote for Congress, only 19% said their vote would be to send a message of support for Trump, while 44% said they would use their vote to send a message that they oppose Trump.

•Forecasts: Analysts are split but lean toward Democratic gains. Democrats face significant challenges in winning both chambers, though the outcome remains competitive. One projection model gave Democrats an 84% chance of controlling the House and a 55% chance of taking the Senate, while other forecasts describe Democrats as currently favored to take control of the House with a growing possibility of Republicans losing the Senate as well. Democrats would need a four-seat pickup to flip the Senate from the current Republican edge.

4. Major Issues Driving Politics

a) The Economy and Affordability Crisis:
The economy and affordability have emerged as central issues in the 2026 midterms, with voters frustrated over rising gas prices, grocery costs and inflation amid the Iran war.

b) The Iran War:
The outbreak of the 2026 Iran war on February 28 introduced a further complicating factor, with rising gasoline prices emerging as central electoral concerns. The conflict has now entered its seventh month with no end in sight.

•Economic cost: As of June 29, the war had cost the Department of War an estimated $33.4 billion, and one estimate suggests it has cost American families more than $1,000 per household through higher gasoline, household expenses and groceries.

•Public opinion: 63 percent of Americans opposed the Iran war in recent polls, and 53% to 59% of voters opposed military action against Iran.

•Political fallout: Several Republican candidates have distanced themselves from Trump and called for operations in Iran to end. Trump admitted on September 9 that the price of oil was likely to remain high until the November midterms, and on September 9 also promised a $5,000 "Trump Dividend" to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress.

c) Immigration, Tariffs and Governance:
The second Trump administration has imposed tariffs on much of the world with the intent to re-industrialize the United States, a decision criticized by experts for worsening inflation, and has pursued deportations by ICE due to strengthened funding via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

d) Redistricting and Election Rules:
Prior to the elections, Trump called on Republican-led states to enact rare mid-decade redistricting to boost the party's chances, prompting reciprocal redistricting from Democratic-led states such as California's Election Rigging Response Act. In April 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which enabled the creation of majority-minority districts were unconstitutional, which analysts predict will result in increased Republican representation.

There have also been extensive legal battles over election administration, including the administration's push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) and Justice Department demands for voter registration data, suing 23 states and the District of Columbia that declined to provide unredacted voter rolls.

5. Public Mood

Public pessimism is high. A September survey among 1,500 likely 2026 voters found that 60.5 percent of respondents believe that the country is mostly or definitely on the wrong track. Independent voters are among the most dissatisfied, with 66% saying the country is on the wrong track.

Polarization remains a prominent feature, with very few incumbents losing primaries (13 in 2026 as of early September), a factor researchers link to polarization. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan has described current politics as "fundamentally unserious" with both parties embracing populism.

Citations (2)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
2026 United States elections - Wikipedia
Backs: “As of late September 2026, US politics is dominated by President Donald Trump's second term and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections: 1. Executive Branch - Second Trump Administration. The incumbent president is Republican Donald Trump, serving his second term after winning in 2024.”
2arabcenterdc.orgNonprofits and think tanks
America’s Affordability Crisis: Will Trump’s Iran War Cost Him the 2026 Midterms?
Backs: “Senate will be contested, to determine the 120th Congress, plus 39 state and territorial gubernatorial elections. Political environment: Midterm elections are usually a referendum on whichever party holds the White House, and anxieties are high among Republicans as Trump's approval ratings fall.”