Emerson Poll: Trump Approval Steady as Democrats’ Generic-Ballot Lead Narrows

An Emerson College poll released Aug. 20 finds President Donald Trump's job approval largely unchanged, while Democrats' advantage on the generic congressional ballot for the 2026 midterms has decreased compared with July.

Poll Highlights

Among likely voters surveyed in August, 39.5% say they approve of the job Trump is doing as president and 55.8% disapprove. That closely matches Emerson’s July results, which recorded 39.2% approval and 56.7% disapproval.

“President Trump's job approval has been relatively steady in the past several months, with about 2 in 5 likely voters approving of the President, driven by consistent ratings among Republicans, 86% of whom approve of the president,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, in the poll release.

The poll also shows the Democratic advantage on the generic ballot slipping: Democrats led by 11.4 percentage points in July, while the August results put the Democratic lead at 7.7 percentage points in hypothetical November matchups.

Primary Season and Nominee Concerns

Between the July and August interviews, additional states held primaries and began finalizing general-election candidates. Several progressive and self-described democratic socialist nominees won key contests, prompting concern among some party moderates about those nominees’ ability to attract independents and moderate Democrats in November.

Views on the Democratic Socialists of America

When asked about alignment with organized left-wing groups, 23.3% of likely voters said they are supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Emerson’s release notes that not all who identify with democratic socialism are DSA members. For example, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the DSA, while Sen. Bernie Sanders—who calls himself a democratic socialist—is not.

Kimball added that “46% of Democrats consider themselves DSA supporters, while 30% do not and 25% are not sure. This is concentrated among younger members of the party,” highlighting stronger self-reported support among Democrats under 50 compared with older cohorts.

Top Voter Issues

The economy emerged as the leading concern in August: 36.5% of respondents named economic issues—such as inflation, jobs and taxes—as the most important issue facing the country. That is a notable rise from July, when 27.1% cited economic issues and threats to democracy ranked first at 28.3%. In August, threats to democracy registered 15.8% and health care 15.5%.

Other News Note

Separately, construction of a new helipad on the White House South Lawn was underway on July 22, 2026, to accommodate the VH-92A Patriot helicopter planned to serve as Marine One. The helipad is being built on the site of a temporary arena that hosted the UFC Freedom 250 fight card in June on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C.

Source: Emerson College poll (released Aug. 20). Originally reported by USA TODAY.

Construction of anew helipadon the South Lawn of the White House continues on July 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. The new helipad is being constructed to accommodate the VH-92A Patriot helicopter that will be used as Marine One.(Finn Gomez, Getty Images)

Construction of the helipad is being done on the site of the temporary arena that hosted theUFC Freedom 250 fight cardin June on the South Lawn.(Kylie Cooper, REUTERS)

Crews continue to prep the area for the helipad on June 24, 2026 after the Ultimate Fighting Championship Freedom 250 "Claw," a 92-foot-tall temporary stadium was dismantled on the White House South Lawn in Washington, DC.(Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images)

The area for the helipad is enclosed in fencing on the South Lawn on June 28, 2026 in Washington, DC.(Al Drago, Getty Images)

Construction of a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House continues on July 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. The new helipad is being constructed to accommodate the VH-92A Patriot helicopter that will be used as Marine One, an aircraft that generates significant exhaust heat that would damage the traditional grass landing zone.(Win McNamee, Getty Images)

An aerial view of ongoing construction of a helipad and ballroom at the White House from the U.S. Army Golden Knight DHC-8 airplane on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, over Washington, D.C., July 4, 2026.(Eric Lee, REUTERS)

A view from a window at the Washington Monument of the White House and the ongoing Ballroom construction including the new helipad in Washington, D.C., July 14, 2026.(Ken Cedeno, REUTERS)

Marine One comes in for landing near the White House as President Donald Trump is set to depart from the Ellipse in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2026, amid construction work on a new helipad. President Donald Trump on July 13 confirmed that work was underway to build a "beautiful" new helipad at the White House, in his latest personally directed redesign to the iconic building. The helipad is situated on the South Lawn, where presidents and their family for decades have been photographed strolling across the grass to board or exit awaiting "Marine One" helicopters.(ALEX WROBLEWSKI, AFP via Getty Images)

The White House and the ongoing Ballroom construction as seen from a window at the top of the Washington Monument, in Washington, D.C., July 15, 2026. REUTERS/Al Drago(AL DRAGO, REUTERS)

Construction of a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House continues on July 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.(Finn Gomez, Getty Images)

Construction of a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House continues on July 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.(Finn Gomez, Getty Images)

Geese stand in front of a helicopter before President Donald Trump's departure to attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2026.(Kylie Cooper, REUTERS)