Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 2: US President Donald Trump is facing declining approval ratings ahead of the crucial midterm elections, with his net approval rating remaining positive in only eight of the country's 50 states, according to the latest Civiqs state-by-state tracker.
The tracker shows Trump with negative net approval ratings in 42 states, including all six states witnessing closely contested Senate races. His ratings stand at minus 25 per cent in Alaska, minus 26 per cent in Michigan, minus 29 per cent in Maine, minus 18 per cent in North Carolina, minus 18 per cent in Ohio and minus 20 per cent in Texas.
Trump is also recording negative ratings in traditionally Republican states, including Kentucky, where his net approval stands at minus 13 per cent, and South Carolina, at minus 10 per cent.
The eight states where Trump continues to have positive net approval are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. Wyoming remains his strongest state, with a positive net approval rating of 14 per cent.
Kansas is evenly divided, with 46 per cent of respondents approving of Trump's performance and an equal percentage disapproving.
The latest state-level figures come amid broader concerns over the president's approval ratings as Republicans prepare to defend their congressional majorities in the November 3 midterm elections.
An Emerson College poll released on October 30 put Trump's approval rating at 37 per cent, against 57 per cent disapproval among likely voters. The approval figure was the lowest recorded for him in the polling organisation's surveys, marking a two-percentage-point decline from his previous low of 39 per cent.
The same survey found Democratic candidates leading Republicans by 52 per cent to 42 per cent in the generic congressional ballot, giving Democrats a 10-point advantage.
Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said around five per cent of respondents remained undecided, most of them independents. He noted that approximately half of these undecided voters disapproved of Trump, suggesting that the Democratic vote share could potentially be higher than the poll's reported figure.
The findings highlight the political challenges facing Trump and Republican candidates as voters prepare to decide control of Congress in the midterm elections.