Trump's women problem? White women abandoning Republicans ahead of 2026 midterms, shows report
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump's women problem? White women abandoning Republicans ahead of 2026 midterms, shows report")
Trump's support among women plunges as Democrats seize lead among white women Photograph: (Combination image using AFP pics)
A key voting bloc that helped Donald Trump expand the Republican coalition in 2024 is showing signs of shifting again. New polling suggests women, particularly white women, could emerge as a major problem for Trump and Republicans in the 2026 midterms.
US President Donald Trump may be heading into the 2026 midterm elections with a problem that could prove costly: women, including white women who helped him expand the Republican coalition in 2024, are showing signs of pulling away. A new national poll shows that white women are falling out of love with Trump, and Democrats may be benefiting from it and are moving from a clear deficit to an eight-point lead among a voting bloc that has long leaned Republican.
A national survey of 1,604 women by Bellwether Research and Consulting found that only 32 per cent approve of Trump's job performance. That is well below the roughly 46 per cent of women who backed him in the 2024 presidential election. Even among women who voted for Trump, one in four now disapproves of his performance.
The shift is particularly striking among white women, reports The Times. The Bellwether data shows Republicans led Democrats 55 per cent to 44 per cent among white women in 2024. In August 2026, that has flipped, with Democrats ahead 47 per cent to 39 per cent. That is a 19-point swing in the Democratic direction.
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Economy is a bigger concern than Trump's cultural agenda
The numbers suggest that household finances may be doing more damage to Trump's standing with women than the cultural issues that have defined much of his second term.
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In the Bellwether survey, 38 per cent of women named the economy and cost of living as the country's most important issue. Healthcare, Medicare, and Social Security came next at 17 per cent, followed by democracy, government, and the rule of law at 11 per cent. Several of Trump's signature policies also faced majority opposition.
Around 68 per cent opposed the planned White House ballroom, including 43 per cent of Republican women. Tariffs were opposed by 63 per cent, while 61 per cent opposed data centres being built in their states.
The survey also found 55 per cent opposed splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate shots and 53 per cent opposed increased glyphosate production. Deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were opposed by 51 per cent, although Republican women remained strongly supportive.
White women could become a major midterm problem
The white women's numbers stand out because this was a group Republicans performed particularly well with in recent elections.
In 2022, Republican candidates led among white women in the House vote by 8 points. That advantage widened to 11 points in 2024. However, the latest Bellwether figures put Democrats 8 points ahead.
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Not a happy White House
The polling comes at a time when the president's relationship with his own staff is reportedly becoming strained. According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, Trump's White House is "not a happy White House" and said many staff members are already thinking about leaving.
"Most people have decided that they want to go do something else," Haberman told MS Now.
She also said Trump has been "lashing out" at staff, particularly when political circumstances are not going his way. "He is not in a great place with his staff, according to everyone we talked to," Haberman said.
The White House responded by attacking Haberman personally, accusing her of being obsessed with Trump.
Karoline Leavitt's exit adds to the questions
One of the most prominent departures is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left her post this week after saying she wanted to spend more time with her young family. Trump has backed her decision and said she will remain a top outside adviser and influential voice in Republican politics.
