Joe Biden was a notable exception in 2022, when Democrats lost just nine House seats and gained one Senate seat despite his weak approval ratings. The two newest independent-voter readings are especially striking because they put Trump well below his overall national approval. In a CNN/SSRS poll conducted from July 23 to 27, 24 percent of independents approved of Trump while 76 percent disapproved, giving him a net approval rating of minus 52 with the group. Trump was at minus 20 among independents in May 2025, minus 34 in July, minus 45 in October, minus 47 in November, minus 43 in June 2026 and minus 53 in July. Emerson College Polling said Trump held a 39 percent job approval rating in the same survey, while disapproval rose to 57 percent.