In 2020 matchups, Trump is losing to 3 Democrats


President Trump is fired up to travel America stumping for Republican candidates before the 2018 midterms, but a new Politico/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday suggests he may not be the campaign booster he imagines himself to be. His approval rating is 42 percent, down 1 percentage point from last week, and 55 percent of voters disapprove of his job performance, up from 52 percent last week. Also, the poll shows him losing to three Democrats and failing to rise above 30 percent in his matchup with seven other lesser-known potential candidates.
Trump loses the worst to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the hypothetical matchups — Sanders leads Trump 44 percent to 32 percent — followed closely by former Vice President Joe Biden, 43 percent to 31 percent. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) edges out Trump 34 percent to 30 percent, and Trump narrowly beats Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), plus New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). He has a larger single-digit lead over former Attorney General Eric Holder and Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti.
The poll — again, more than 800 days before the 2020 election — was conducted Aug. 16-18 among 1,974 registered voters, and it has a margin of error of ±2 percentage points.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein