Voters have increasingly little faith in the Democrats, a new Wall Street Journal poll found, with the party reaching its lowest favorability rating in more than three decades. Voters overwhelmingly believe that Republicans are better able to handle key issues in Congress than Democrats.
The survey found that the majority of voters, 63 percent, have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party. Only 33 percent hold a favorable view. This is the most unpopular that Democrats have been according to Journal polls dating back to 1990.
As President Donald Trump enacts an increasingly authoritarian agenda and provides little economic benefit to the average American, Democrats are hopeful anti-Trump backlash will give them a strong showing in the 2026 midterm election. While slightly more people expect to vote for Democrats next year than Republicans, according to the Journal poll, Democrats’ overall favorability has only dropped since Trump took office.
“The Democratic brand is so bad that they don’t have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party,” John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who worked on the survey, told the Journal. “Until they reconnect with real voters and working people on who they’re for and what their economic message is, they’re going to have problems.”
Anzalone’s firm, which consulted for both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaigns, worked on the survey with Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio.
According to the survey, voters think Republicans in Congress are more capable at handling the economy, inflation and rising prices, tariffs, immigration, “illegal” immigration, the Russia-Ukraine war, and foreign policy. On the topic of “illegal” immigration, 48 percent have their faith in Republicans and 24 percent choose Democrats.
Democrats scored higher on health care and vaccine policy. Both parties tied at 37 percent on the issue of looking out for middle class families.
“As much as I fully believe that Democrats are not doomed for all eternity, I also believe that many Democrats aren’t quite grappling with the serious credibility problems the party still faces,” Democratic operative Tré Easton posted on X. “The podcasts and everything are real cute, but we’ve got work to do.”
Democrats also scored low in a Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month. In that survey, approval of congressional Democrats reached a new low of 19 percent, with 72 percent of voters saying they disapproved.
“This is a record low since March 2009 when the Quinnipiac University Poll first began asking this question of registered voters,” the university wrote.
The Quinnippiac poll found that even registered Democrats disapproved of the party: Thirty-nine percent approved of how Democrats in Congress were handling their jobs, while 52 percent disapproved. Among registered Republicans, 77 percent approved of how Republicans are operating in Congress.
In the findings from the Journal, voters are mixed on Trump. About half, or 55 percent, of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction. This is down from 70 percent in January, meaning voters have become more optimistic since Trump took office, yet Trump is not wildly popular. He has a favorability rating of 45 percent, and an unfavorability rating of 52 percent. A total of 46 percent approve of what Trump is doing as president, and 52 percent disapprove. Fifty-three percent disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 44 percent approve.
On the issues of inflation, tariffs, immigration, looking out for middle class families, health care, vaccine policy, foreign policy, and the Russia-Ukraine war, voters disapprove of the job Trump is doing. On the topic of “illegal” immigration, though, 51 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove.
The Republican Party is not wildly popular either, though, with 54 percent of voters having an unfavorable view, compared to the 43 percent who have a favorable view.
