MINNEAPOLIS - President Trump's approval rating is below 40 percent in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to new NBC News/Marist polls.
In Minnesota, which Trump narrowly lost by 1.5 percentage points, his rating stands at 38 percent approve, 51 percent disapprove. In Wisconsin, which he won by about 23,000 votes, another 36 percent give Trump a thumbs up, with 52 percent giving him a thumbs down.
Democrats enjoy a lead in congressional preference with the midterm elections less than four months away. In Minnesota, it’s 48 percent preferring the Democrats, to 36 percent backing the Republicans (D+12). In Wisconsin, Democrats hold a 47 percent-to-39 percent lead in congressional preference (D+8).
"Donald Trump carried or came very close to carrying these three states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan) in 2016. But it's a very different picture for this fall's elections,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. In both states — which hold competitive House, Senate and gubernatorial contests in 2018 — the Democratic leads are boosted by female voters, whites with college degrees and independents (though Republicans hold a 1-point edge here in Minnesota).
Republicans, meanwhile, have advantages with male voters and whites without college degrees.
The findings report the majorities in Minnesota and Wisconsin say their vote in November will be a message that more Democrats are needed in Congress to be a check and balance on the president. By contrast, about a third of voters in both states say their vote will be a message that more Republicans are needed to help President Trump pass his agenda.
In Minnesota, 30 percent of voters say Trump deserves re-election, versus 60 percent who disagree. In Wisconsin, 31 percent say the president should be re-elected, and 63 percent say he shouldn’t.
The NBC/Marist polls were conducted July 15-19. The margin of error for the 876 registered voters in Minnesota is plus-minus 4.0 percentage points. And the margin of error of the 906 registered voters in Wisconsin is plus-minus 3.8 percentage points.
