Trump’s weak standing erodes GOP’s edge on economy and security
President Donald Trump has done something Republican strategists rarely expected: he has weakened the party’s standing on the economy and national security, ...
President Donald Trump has done something Republican strategists rarely expected: he has weakened the party’s standing on the economy and national security, two issues that usually tilt sharply in the GOP’s favor. New polling shows Democrats now running nearly even — and in one case ahead — on both fronts.
The shift matters because it cuts at the core of the Republican pitch heading into the 2026 midterm elections. The economy and security are the kind of terrain Republicans usually count on to hold voters’ trust. Not this time. The numbers are close enough to fall within the margin of error, but the fact that they are close at all is unusual.
Economy no longer a GOP strength
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found Democrats edging Republicans 37% to 36% on stewardship of the US economy. The same survey showed Trump’s approval rating slipping to 35% from 37% last month.
That is a sharp break from the usual pattern. Republicans have long enjoyed an advantage with voters on economic management, but the new figures suggest that edge has largely vanished. Registered voters also preferred Democrats over Republicans 42% to 37% in a congressional ballot test, a sign of trouble for the party as it tries to protect its majority in Washington.
Gas prices are part of the pressure. In Pennsylvania, where prices have hovered around $4.20 a gallon, voters in one bellwether district told reporters the economy and everyday costs sit at the top of their list. Groceries, housing and electricity are adding to the strain, and many are blaming Trump directly.
National security gap narrows
The Republican advantage on national security, once one of the party’s most reliable assets, has also narrowed to an unusual degree. Reuters/Ipsos found Democrats and Republicans virtually tied on “war, foreign conflicts and terrorism.” Today, 37% of US adults say Democrats have the better approach, compared with 36% who say the GOP does.
Fox News polling found a similar picture a few weeks ago. On national security, 50% of registered voters preferred the GOP, while 48% picked Democrats. In January, before the Iran war, Republicans held a 12-point lead.
That gap has collapsed fast. Fox has regularly measured voter views on terrorism and national security, and until the Iran war, Democrats had never come close to matching Republicans on either issue. Gallup polling has also consistently given the GOP the advantage on national security.
The broader political picture is worsening for Trump’s party even as the president argues voters are angry with Republicans, not with him. For now, the data says the old assumptions no longer hold.
“The numbers even being that close is basically unheard of,” one report on the polling said.
