Newsweek, September 2026
President Donald Trump’s approval rating among very conservative Americans fell from 84 percent in July to 76 percent in September, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll. The 8-point movement could signal frustration within the president’s most ideologically aligned constituency ahead of the midterms, when motivation can be as important as persuasion, although two political scientists told Newsweek that the small subgroup demands caution. Grant Reeher, a political-science professor at Syracuse University, identified the Iran war and household financial pressure as possible explanations for the shift.
Costas Panagopoulos, a distinguished professor of political science at Northeastern University, said weak ratings on inflation, the economy, and gasoline prices suggested dissatisfaction with results rather than an ideological break. The Republican National Committee (RNC), meanwhile, has rejected the suggestion that the results point toward a broader weakening of conservative support.
