As President Donald Trump’s popularity continues to fall, fresh polling data reveals an even more pressing concern for his political rivals: a growing number of Americans believe Republicans—not Democrats—have the better plans to tackle many of the country’s most urgent problems, regardless of their distaste for the president.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed the growing anxiety within Democratic ranks, dismissing concerns about recent unfavorable polling. “Even though Democrats’ numbers are low,” Schumer said, “that’s fine because they’re still higher than that of Republicans. In a couple of the races where we have the two candidates, we win!”
But new data from Reuters/Ipsos contradicts the comfort Schumer sought to convey. A survey conducted between September 19 and 21 among 1,019 U.S. adults found Republicans leading Democrats by wide margins on issues like crime, immigration, the economy—and even gun control and corruption, issues where Democrats have historically held an advantage.
Poll: Republicans Outperform Democrats
While Trump’s job approval dipped to 41 percent in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, Republicans outperformed Democrats on nearly every major policy category. Asked which party had a better plan to deal with crime, 40 percent picked Republicans compared to 20 percent for Democrats. The gap was nearly as wide on immigration, where Republicans led 40 to 22 percent, even as public opinion has made a “thermostatic” turn this year under Trump, with majorities now saying immigrants benefit the U.S., according to Gallup.
Even more striking from the Reuters poll were the GOP leads on topics where Democrats have traditionally performed well. On corruption, Republicans led by six points. On gun control—long a litmus test for Democrats—Republicans are now ahead by four points.
The trend continued across national security and economic issues. Republicans held a 12-point advantage on their ability to manage foreign conflicts, and a 10-point lead on managing the U.S. economy. When it came to political extremism, voters were split almost evenly: 30 percent said Republicans had the better plan, 26 percent chose Democrats, and the rest were undecided or picked neither.
The poll also revealed rising public frustration about the broader economic picture. Fifty-four percent said the economy was on the wrong track. Only 35 percent approved of Trump’s economic leadership, and just 28 percent supported his handling of the cost of living—figures that were slightly down from prior months.
Still, Republicans were more trusted to fix those same issues: 34 percent of Americans said they believed the GOP had the better economic plan, compared to just 24 percent for Democrats.
Jason Lange of Reuters noted that immigration remains Trump’s strongest issue. “Some 42 percent of poll respondents gave Trump a thumbs up on immigration,” he reported, calling it Trump’s highest mark in the poll.
Schumer Dismisses Poor Democratic Numbers
Polling from Ipsos earlier this month found that 90 percent of Americans believe there is an urgent need for greater national unity, with political extremism cited as the nation’s top concern. Yet Democrats failed to lead even on that issue.
Although the party retains leads on women’s rights (+13), the environment (+14), and healthcare (+9), it continues to face erosion on economic and public safety messaging—areas where Republican narratives appear to be gaining traction.
Still, Schumer insisted Democrats remain viable in 2026. “In the actual head-to-head races, we’re outperforming the national numbers,” he said on “Morning Joe” Wednesday.
Later in the segment, Schumer added: “People are upset in general. They don’t like the Democrats, they don’t like the Republicans; and they don’t like Trump even more than they don’t like the Democrats.”