Democrats' approval ratings have reached historic lows, as revealed by two recent national polls. A CNN poll indicates that only 29% of respondents view the Democratic Party favorably, while 54% hold an unfavorable opinion. This marks the lowest favorability rating for the party in CNN's polling history, which spans over 30 years. The party's approval has dropped by four points since January and has declined by 20 points since January 2021, just before President Joe Biden took office.
In a similar trend, an NBC News poll shows that only 27% of registered voters have a positive view of the Democratic Party, the lowest rating since their polling began in 1990. This poll was conducted from March 7-11. The Democratic Party is facing challenges following last November's elections, where Republicans regained control of the White House and Senate and maintained their slim majority in the House. The GOP also made gains among Black, Hispanic, and younger voters, who traditionally support Democrats.
The CNN poll, conducted by SSRS from March 6-9, shows the Republican Party with a 36% favorable rating and a 48% unfavorable rating, unchanged from January. The NBC News poll reports similar findings, with the GOP holding a 39% favorable and 49% unfavorable rating.
These polls follow a Quinnipiac University survey from last month, which also highlighted a record low in Democratic favorability since 2009. According to the CNN survey, 57% of Democrats believe their leaders should focus on opposing the GOP agenda rather than seeking compromise, a shift from earlier polling during Trump's first term when most Democrats favored working with Republicans.
The NBC News poll reflects a similar sentiment, with nearly two-thirds of Democrats preferring their lawmakers to stand firm rather than compromise with Trump. These surveys were conducted before a recent decision by 10 Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to support a GOP-led spending bill, which prevented a government shutdown but angered many on the left who want stronger opposition to Trump's policies.
The polls also asked respondents to identify the political leader who best embodies the party's core values. Ten percent of Democratic-aligned adults named Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, followed by 9% for former Vice President Kamala Harris, 8% for Sen. Bernie Sanders, and 6% for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Over 30% did not provide a response.