Trump’s approval ratings hit a new low, Democrats want US president to campaign more | Gravitas

As the US midterm campaign enters its final stretch, the challenge for Republicans is getting tougher. Amid US President Donald Trump's campaign blitz, his approval rating has hit a new low.

According to the CNN-SSRS poll, which surveyed nearly 1,700 adults from October 15 to 18, Trump's approval rating dipped to 32%. This is seven points lower than his approval rating just before the 2018 midterms during his first presidency.

Additionally, 49% of respondents indicated they would vote for Democrats, compared with 39% who favoured Republicans. The opinion poll highlighted a strong lead for Democrats among Black and Latino voters, as well as women and younger adults. Cost-of-living concerns remain the most important issue for voters.

What is worrying for the US president, though, is a possible erosion in his own voter base. For instance, nearly four in 10 Republican-aligned adults younger than 45 disapprove of Trump.

Also, 13% of respondents revealed that they had already cast their votes. Among this group, 70% claimed to have voted for Democrats. As for those who are yet to vote, 46% favoured Democrats.

Amid this, speculation is rife that Democrats want Trump to campaign more, as they believe it could help them electorally. With Trump openly urging people to vote, assuming that he is on the ballot, his rivals are also pushing this case.

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According to an analysis by the Associated Press, advertisements run by Democrats across platforms since September 1 refer to Trump 180,000 times. They have spent over $163 million on such advertisements.

In comparison, Republican advertisements mentioned the president just 16,000 times during the same period. Much of the Democratic advertising accuses Republican candidates of backing Trump on issues such as tariffs and the Iran war.

But what does this strategy indicate? According to some experts, Democrats want the election to be a referendum on Trump. They want to equate a vote for a Republican candidate with a vote for Trump.

Meanwhile, chaos marred a Republican rally in South Carolina where Trump was campaigning for the late Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Graham. Some people repeatedly interrupted Trump. A protester was even punched in the face and knocked to the ground by Trump supporters. Amid the pandemonium, Trump called them 'paid protesters'.