Democrats More Motivated Than Ever To Stop Trump
A new CBS News/YouGov poll is providing a closer look at what is motivating Democratic and Republican voters as the 2026 midterm elections approach — and the two parties are showing a noticeable difference.
Among likely voters who plan to support a Democratic candidate for Congress, 54% said their primary motivation is stopping President Donald Trump and Republicans from advancing their agenda. The remaining 46% said they are primarily motivated by helping Democrats enact their own policies.
Republican voters gave a different response.
Among likely voters planning to support a Republican congressional candidate, 57% said their main motivation is helping Trump and Republicans advance their policies. Another 43% said their primary goal is preventing Democrats from advancing theirs.
The findings offer a snapshot of the political environment heading toward November, when voters will determine control of Congress.
Democrats Lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot
The poll also showed Democrats holding an advantage when likely voters were asked which party they would support in their congressional district.
Democratic candidates received 54% support, compared with 46% for Republican candidates among likely voters surveyed.
A national generic ballot is not a prediction of how individual House or Senate contests will turn out. Congressional races are decided separately across states and districts, where candidates and local political conditions can produce significantly different results.
Still, generic ballot polling is one measure of the national political environment, and the latest numbers suggest Republicans face a challenging electorate as the midterm campaign continues.
Trump’s Approval Rating Stands at 39%
President Trump’s job approval numbers are another major finding from the survey.
According to the poll, 39% of respondents approved of Trump’s performance as president, while 61% disapproved.
Trump also received weaker ratings on two issues affecting household finances.
His approval rating for handling the economy stood at 34%, while 27% approved of his handling of inflation.
Those numbers could be particularly important because economic concerns remain a major issue for American voters.
Higher Prices Continue to Affect American Households
The survey found widespread concern about the cost of everyday goods and services.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents indicated that higher prices were creating some degree of financial difficulty in their lives.
Among registered voters, 33% described higher prices as a financial hardship for their families. Another 39% said higher prices had made their finances difficult, although they did not characterize the situation as a financial hardship.
Together, those groups represent 72% of registered voters surveyed.
The findings underscore why inflation and the broader economy remain prominent issues heading into the 2026 congressional elections.
For many Americans, political debates over economic policy ultimately come down to practical questions involving grocery bills, energy costs, housing expenses and the amount of money left in the household budget.
Trump Endorsement Could Affect Congressional Candidates
The survey also asked likely voters whether an endorsement from President Trump would influence their decision to support a candidate.
Overall, 21% said a Trump endorsement would make them more likely to vote for that candidate.
By comparison, 48% said Trump’s endorsement would make them less likely to support the candidate, while 31% said it would make no difference.
Those overall numbers, however, mask a substantial partisan divide.
Among Republican likely voters, 54% said Trump’s endorsement would make them more likely to support a candidate. Only 4% said it would make them less likely.
Among Democratic likely voters, 88% said an endorsement from Trump would make them less likely to support the candidate.
The results illustrate Trump’s continued influence among Republican voters while also showing the sharply different reaction he receives from Democrats.
Economy and Inflation Loom Large Ahead of November
Economic concerns could become one of the defining issues of the 2026 midterm elections.
The CBS News/YouGov survey found that 87% of likely voters considered the economy “very important” when deciding how to vote for Congress. Inflation was close behind, with 82% describing it as very important.
Voters also identified issues including immigration, health care, taxes, tariffs and the U.S.-Iran conflict as factors in their congressional decisions.
Personal finances appear to be influencing political preferences as well.
When likely voters were asked how their own financial situation affected their congressional vote, 40% said it made them more likely to vote for a Democrat. Another 31% said their finances made them more likely to vote Republican, while 29% said their financial situation would not affect their choice.
Voter Motivation Shows a Clear Partisan Divide
One of the more notable findings from the survey involves what is actually driving each party’s supporters to the polls.
A majority of Democratic likely voters surveyed said stopping Trump and Republicans was their primary motivation, rather than advancing the Democratic Party’s own agenda.
Republican likely voters leaned in the other direction, with a majority saying advancing Trump and the GOP’s policies was their main motivation.
That distinction does not determine how the midterm elections will unfold, but it provides additional insight into the political forces shaping the campaign.
With control of Congress at stake, Republicans and Democrats will each be working to persuade their supporters to participate in November while competing for voters who remain dissatisfied with the economy, inflation or the direction of the country.
The CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted from September 8 through September 11, 2026, using a nationally representative sample of 2,460 U.S. adults. The survey reported a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.
