Shock poll hands Trump rude wake-up call on the economy and upcoming midterm election

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 19:04, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 19:16, 23 July 2026 President Donald Trump was handed a rude wake-up call by voters increasingly concerned about the economy.  According to an exclusive new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, the cost of living is the most cited driver of Trump's disapproval rating, which stands at 52 percent - up 2 percent from last month. Half of voters say Trump is doing a 'bad job' on the economy in general.  Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, energy costs are up 15.7 percent, while all items are up approximately 3.5 percent over the last 12 months. Fuel oil has increased 42.9 percent, while the cost of gasoline, across all types, has increased 26.7 percent. And a mere 11 percent of Americans say they are 'very comfortable financially' and can easily save. The majority say they are 'managing' or 'struggling' with covering basic expenses.  Over half of the respondents, Republicans and Democrats alike, say the economy is 'worsening' under Trump's leadership.  Even more worrisome for the GOP is that voters said they'd vote for a Democratic candidate in the upcoming November midterm elections - by over 9 points. That's a full point increase from the Daily Mail's June poll.  President Donald Trump has long thought of himself as the biggest asset to GOP turnout, so he plans to spend a considerable amount of time on the campaign trail this year. He was in Georgia on Wednesday Turnout will be critical ahead of November midterm elections, even in states like California (pictured)  where Republicans are at a disadvantage to maintain seats after congressional redistricting efforts nationwide  Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Despite a lead in the generic ballot for Democrats, Republicans are winning the fundraising battle. The National Republican Congressional Committee touted a $13.7. million cash-on-hand advantage over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the start of this week, based on second-quarter fundraising totals. That fiscal advantage also extends to swing-seat congressional races, where swing district Republicans average over an extra million dollars cash-on-hand, 2.7 million to 3.8 million, per the NRCC's calculations.  'While vulnerable House Democrats struggle to keep pace, Republicans are building the war chest needed to defend our majority, expand the map, and win in November,' noted NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, in a defense of DNC fundraising totals this week, said, 'the current DNC has raised the most money of any DNC without the White House in the 198-year history of the Democratic Party.'  Republican National Committee Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre, meanwhile, told the Daily Mail that 'if Democrats take control, their extreme socialist ideology will reverse our progress and strip every American of their safety, sanity, and freedom.  'It's a clear choice between common sense versus communism in November, and Republicans remain on offense as we highlight President Trump's achievements and present the facts to the American people,' Baldassarre added.