Trump's America Has Been Handed the Bill: 8 in 10 Voters Want Political Upheaval

Donald Trump promised Americans he would cut energy costs in half. Now stickers bearing his face and the words "I DID THAT!" are appearing at gas stations. Right next to the gas prices. Less than 4 weeks before the congressional midterm elections, a nationwide poll documents just how far reality has drifted from the White House's promises. Around 8 in 10 registered voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the cost of living. About 3 in 4 disapprove of his economic policies. In a country whose president never stops talking about his successes, even a trip to the grocery store has become evidence against him.

The relentless investigative work of some news organizations, investigative journalists, and human rights, environmental, and economic organizations has now reached even those Republicans who previously defended Trump against every criticism. His promises are being measured against supermarket prices, his decisions to wage war against gas station receipts. A president who never stops celebrating his supposed achievements is now watching even his own voters lose faith in him. How much longer can political failure be sold as triumph when people are already paying for it out of their own pockets? The discontent extends far beyond the economy. Only about 1 in 3 registered voters have a favorable view of Trump. Roughly the same share approve of his performance as president. Around 8 in 10 say the economy or the cost of living is among the most important issues in the upcoming election. Democracy, healthcare, and the war against Iran are each major concerns for about 2 in 3 voters. Trump had predicted a war lasting 4 or 5 weeks. It has now been going on for 8 months. The bill keeps coming due every day, including for people who never had a say in whether their country went to war.

Even among Republican voters, support is beginning to crack. Just 44 percent approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living. His numbers are considerably better when it comes to fighting crime. But many are unhappy with the economy under Trump. Everything keeps getting more expensive, and many also think his tariffs are wrong. Apparently, even party loyalty can no longer protect anyone from their own grocery receipt. On foreign policy, 69 percent still support him.

Diana Walker, a 65-year-old Democrat from Georgia, describes the situation even more plainly. The world is moving backward, she says, and people can barely afford anything anymore. Whether Republican or Democrat, everyone is getting hit hard. Such statements have little in common with the triumphant announcements coming out of Washington. Political reality is hard to sugarcoat when an ordinary life is increasingly becoming a financial burden.

The desire for change runs especially deep. About half of those surveyed want substantial political change. Another 3 in 10 even want a complete overhaul. Altogether, that means roughly 8 in 10 voters want a major change in the country's political direction. That demand is stronger among Democrats and independents. But even among Republicans, 45 percent want substantial changes, while another 13 percent want a complete overhaul. Democrats also currently have an advantage in voter motivation. About 3 in 4 registered Democratic voters consider voting in November extremely important. Among Republicans, the figure is around 6 in 10. Across the political spectrum, roughly 2 in 3 voters consider this election extremely important, with another 2 in 10 calling it very important. A sense of momentum is slowly building within the Democratic Party, and it's been a long time coming. Democrats are now investing even in traditionally Republican-leaning states such as Iowa and Kansas.

About half of registered voters would prefer Democrats to control the House of Representatives or the Senate. Roughly 4 in 10 want Republicans to control each chamber, while 15 percent remain undecided. Republicans have controlled Congress for 2 years. Now they have to face a population whose dissatisfaction has grown far beyond individual political disputes. The numbers capture the mood before the election, whose outcome remains uncertain. For Democrats, however, the poll contains a less pleasant truth. Only 4 in 10 respondents view their party favorably, while about half view it negatively. Republicans fare even worse, with roughly 6 in 10 expressing an unfavorable opinion of the party. Among supporters of both parties, around 8 in 10 have a favorable view of their own side. Independents see things quite differently: About 2 in 3 view Republicans negatively, compared with roughly 4 in 10 who feel that way about Democrats. Vice President JD Vance also faces widespread disapproval. About half view him negatively, while only around 1 in 3 see him positively.

Many independent voters describe the Republican administration's time in power as a nightmare. Some say they would rather see several of those responsible behind bars. Yet they have little confidence that Democrats would change much if they took power either. The skepticism now reaches far beyond the current administration. Simply changing which party holds the majority may do little to restore that lost trust.

The NORC survey, conducted by a nonpartisan research institute at the University of Chicago, took place from October 8 to October 12 among 1,119 adults, including 925 registered voters. The margin of sampling error is 4.2 percentage points for registered voters and 3.9 percentage points for all respondents. Caution is still warranted, since the numbers represent a snapshot ahead of the election. But the gap between Washington's promises and life outside the nation's capital is hard to miss. Trump promised cheaper energy. Now his face is plastered next to gas prices while millions of Americans wonder just how radically their country needs to change.