Editor’s Note: Prepared for DrWeb’s Domain by Perplexity AI. This report is out of cycle, trying to catch up with months. Next report will be end of February. –DrWeb

Time window: mid-January 2026 through Feb. 17, 2026.

Politics

President Donald Trump’s job approval is underwater in multiple recent measures, including a Civiqs-based snapshot showing 39% approve / 57% disapprove (net -18) and negative approval in 32 states as of Feb. 14, 2026. (Source)

Separately, a roundup of major pollsters reported results such as Morning Consult at 44% approve / 53% disapprove (Feb. 6–9), Quinnipiac at 37% approve / 56% disapprove (Jan. 29–Feb. 2), and Marist/PBS at 39% approve / 56% disapprove (Jan. 27–30), underscoring sustained softness heading into the midterm cycle. (Source)

Economy

A central political storyline remains whether easing inflation and resilient employment trends translate into improved consumer confidence ahead of November 2026; polling writeups frequently tie approval movement to cost-of-living and immigration perceptions. (Source)

Social issues

Immigration enforcement, public safety concerns, and public trust in institutions continue to animate national debate and appear as recurring drivers in “issue approval” questions across major surveys. (Source)

Key events to watch (next 30–60 days)

• Early midterm maneuvering: candidate recruitment, fundraising, and positioning in swing districts and states.
• Polling trendlines: whether approval stabilizes or continues to drift, and whether generic ballot margins widen or narrow.
• Market-based expectations: prediction market odds on House/Senate control may shift quickly with major political/economic shocks.

Chart 1 — Trump approval (latest)

This chart compiles a “latest snapshot” view from several widely-cited polls/trackers, including Civiqs (via Newsweek) and a Silver Bulletin reference embedded in the same writeup; see linked sources for field dates and methodology details. (Source)

Trump Approval Declining (Jan 2025-Feb 2026)

Chart 2 — Top odds on House & Senate control (by party)

The odds below are based on Polymarket midterms markets (real-time prediction market pricing), which can move intraday; use as a sentiment indicator rather than a scientific poll. (Source)

Updated Monthly…