As Americans mark Labor Day and the traditional start of the fall campaign season, new polling shows President Donald Trump entering the final stretch before the midterm elections, with approval ratings that have weakened substantially since the start of his second term. The data comes from Civiqs' rolling online tracking poll of registered voters. A Newsweek analysis compares Trump's approval rating on September 4, 2026, with where it stood when he returned to office on January 20, 2025, using net approval calculated as approve minus disapprove.
Nationally, Trump stands at 34 percent approval and 60 percent disapproval, giving him a net approval rating of minus 26. The state-level picture follows the same pattern, with support strongest in deep-red states but negative across every major battleground. Labor Day has traditionally marked the point when voters begin paying closer attention to fall campaigns.
With just weeks until Election Day, presidential approval ratings can help shape the environment in which congressional and statewide races are fought. Use the map below to explore where Trump's approval rating stands in each state on Labor Day. Trump's best numbers remain concentrated in states that heavily backed him in 2024.
Wyoming now posts the highest net approval rating at +15, followed by West Virginia at +13 and North Dakota at +10. Alabama stands at +5, while Idaho and South Dakota register +4. Those states remain positive, but each has moved significantly lower since January 2025.
Wyoming has fallen from +47 to +15. West Virginia has declined from +35 to +13. North Dakota has slipped from +34 to +10.
Even in states where Trump remains above water, much of the cushion that existed at the start of his term has disappeared. The most politically important trend remains Trump's standing in the states likely to determine control of Congress. Trump is underwater in every major swing state: Several were positive, or even when Trump returned to office.
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