President Donald Trump’s net approval rating among urban voters improved by 20 percentage points between July and October, according to Echelon Insights, although a majority of Americans continue to disapprove of his job performance.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump’s standing among urban voters has improved significantly over the past three months, with new polling showing a 20-point increase in his net approval rating among city residents as Republicans campaign to retain control of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The shift was identified in Echelon Insights polling comparing July and October results, which found that Trump’s net approval among urban voters increased by 20 percentage points during that period.
Net approval measures the percentage of respondents who approve of a president’s performance minus the percentage who disapprove. The 20-point change therefore represents an improvement in that difference, not necessarily a 20-percentage-point increase in the share of voters approving of Trump.
Despite the improvement, the president remains unpopular among urban respondents overall, indicating that disapproval continues to exceed approval in cities.
The findings come from Echelon’s Verified Voter Omnibus surveys, which regularly measure voter attitudes toward the administration, Congress and major political issues.
The October survey, released Oct. 20, found that 39% of likely voters nationwide approved of Trump’s job performance, while 60% disapproved.
That represents a net approval rating of negative 21 points nationally, demonstrating that the improvement among urban voters has not translated into majority approval across the broader electorate.
The October survey questioned 1,010 likely voters between Oct. 15 and Oct. 19 and carried an overall margin of error of approximately 3.6 percentage points.
The urban findings are based on a smaller subset of the national survey, meaning their statistical uncertainty is greater than the published margin of error for the full sample.
That distinction is important when evaluating changes within particular demographic or geographic groups, where smaller samples can produce wider fluctuations between surveys.
The latest numbers nevertheless suggest a notable change in Trump’s standing among urban respondents compared with midsummer.
The shift arrives as Republicans emphasize immigration enforcement, crime prevention, economic development and domestic manufacturing during the final weeks of the midterm campaign.
Trump has repeatedly promoted his administration’s immigration and public safety policies, presenting them as central accomplishments of his presidency.
Democrats have challenged those policies while emphasizing concerns about affordability, health care, energy prices and the administration’s handling of the economy.
Echelon’s October findings indicate that economic concerns remain especially important to voters.
When asked what actions would help reduce the cost of living, 74% identified ending the war involving Iran, while an identical percentage selected reducing government spending.
The results suggest that international conflict and federal fiscal policy remain prominent considerations as voters evaluate the administration.
The survey also found substantial agreement between Democrats and Republicans about the political importance of affordability.
Among Democratic respondents, 72% said high costs would be the leading reason if Republicans lost control of Congress. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans expressed the same view.
The findings demonstrate that economic concerns extend across partisan lines even as voters disagree about the policies needed to address them.
The same Echelon survey showed Democrats holding a five-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, with 50% supporting a Democratic candidate and 45% favoring a Republican.
The generic ballot measures broad congressional preferences rather than support for specific candidates in individual districts.
Other national surveys conducted during October have also shown Trump facing substantial disapproval.
According to RealClearPolling’s presidential approval tracker, recent surveys have generally placed the president’s approval in the mid-30s to low-40s, with disapproval exceeding approval.
The variation among polls reflects differences in survey populations, methodology, timing and question wording.
Echelon’s September survey placed Trump’s national approval at 36%, with 64% disapproving, compared with 39% approval and 60% disapproval in October.
That represents a seven-point improvement in his national net approval between September and October, although the two surveys reflect separate samples rather than interviews with the same respondents over time.
The larger 20-point urban shift could reflect changing opinions, differences in the composition of respondents or a combination of both.
The available survey comparisons do not establish why urban approval changed, nor do they demonstrate that specific administration policies caused the improvement.
They also do not establish that urban voters have shifted their congressional preferences toward Republican candidates.
Urban voters are not politically uniform, and their preferences can differ substantially depending on location, income, age, political affiliation and local economic conditions.
The results provide a snapshot of changing sentiment rather than a prediction of election outcomes.
With early voting underway and Election Day approaching, both parties are concentrating on turnout and voter concerns about household expenses, employment and government policy.
For Republicans, the latest Echelon data show an improvement in Trump’s standing among a group where he continues to face more disapproval than approval.
For Democrats, the same survey indicates an advantage on the national congressional ballot and continued dissatisfaction with the president’s overall performance.
The findings illustrate the contrasting political signals emerging ahead of the midterms: Trump’s urban net approval has improved substantially since July, while the broader electorate remains critical of his administration and deeply concerned about the cost of living.
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