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Pollster faults Trump-centered Republican strategy as approval for Trump lags

Pollster Richard Czuba says the president's self-focus pushes disappointed conservatives toward Democrats, while a late-September AP-NORC poll found 17% of adults approve of his cost-of-living handling.

Updated Oct 28, 2026 · 07:00 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • The White House calls Trump the Republican Party's clear leader and strongest messenger.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Political groups associated with Trump have spent at least around $277 million since Sept. 1 to help Republicans.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Pollster Richard Czuba says Trump's self-focus is pushing disappointed conservatives toward Democrats, while an AP-NORC poll found 17% approve of his cost-of-living handling.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • A mid-October CNN/SSRS poll found about 4 in 10 registered voters would see their congressional vote as opposing Trump; whether this helps Republicans remains unknown.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Key facts

  • Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY's List, said no group wants Trump to appear at these rallies more than Democratic candidates do.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • A White House spokesperson said Trump is the party's clear leader and strongest messenger.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Political groups associated with Trump have spent at least around $277 million since Sept. 1 to help Republicans.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • MAGA Inc., Trump's flagship Super PAC, had $416 million on hand to start last month.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • An AP-NORC poll conducted in late September found 17% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Michigan pollster Richard Czuba said Trump's focus on himself keeps Republicans from courting disappointed conservatives and pushes them toward Democrats.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • A mid-October CNN/SSRS poll found about 4 in 10 registered voters would see their congressional vote as opposing Trump, versus about 2 in 10 as supporting him.[Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether this approach will help Republicans keep Congress is unknown; the sources report polling and spending, not election results.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Czuba's assessment of disappointed conservative voters is an expert opinion, not a measured result.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.