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Trump insists his approval rating is 60% despite polls showing a different story

President Donald Trump dismissed polls showing his approval rating falling ahead of Novembers midterm elections , insisting Americans should trust his claim that his support is closer to 60 percent. In an interview with The Washington Examiner s Byron York, published Saturday, Trump called the polling figures fake when asked about a RealClearPolitics average showing 38.8 percent of Americans approved of his job performance, while 60.4 percent disapproved. Its fake, Trump said. When York pressed him on what he believed his actual approval rating was, Trump rejected the figures and insisted his support was much higher. The job approval, they said its 37, 38? Trump asked. Im not at 38. President Donald Trump dismissed polls showing his approval rating slipping ahead of Novembers midterms as fake, claiming his support is closer to 60 percent (AFP/Getty) Trump continued: I dont believe I could be beaten by anybody. I think that if I needed it, which I dont, I think 60. Trump pointed to his strong support among Republican voters and his MAGA base as evidence of his higher approval rating. However, national polling has consistently shown a less favorable picture of the presidents standing. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between October 16 and 19 found that 34 percent approved of his performance and 65 percent disapproved. A Pew Research Center survey conducted September 28 through October 4 found that just 30 percent of Americans approved of Trumps performance, while 68 percent disapproved. A separate New York Times /Siena College poll released this week put his approval rating at 34 percent, which the newspaper said was the lowest for a president approaching midterm elections since Harry Trumans 33 percent in 1946. Trumps rejection of polling figures comes amid a controversy involving The New York Times and Wedgewood Research, a polling firm that acknowledged producing fabricated polling numbers as part of a social experiment. The newspaper said it did not use the disputed polls when calculating Trumps job approval rating. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 34 percent approved of Trumps job performance (Reuters) To support his claim that he remains popular, Trump pointed to an analysis by CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten showing the presidents support among MAGA Republicans remains near 100 percent. Enten reported that Trump received 99 percent of the MAGA Republican vote in the 2024 election and had a 98 percent approval rating among MAGA Republicans in September. I think Id be in the 60s now. Now, in the Republican Party, Im way up. Show him the 99 percent. Have you seen it? Trump said. However, Enten also found that Trumps net approval rating on inflation fell from +8 points in 2024 to -45 ahead of the midterms . This week, Enten called the presidents polling situation a five-alarm Trumpster fire after a Reuters/Ipsos survey put Trumps approval rating at 31 percent, the lowest recorded for him across both of his presidential terms. Despite the unfavorable figures, Trump continued praising Enten and CNN for polling that reflects his support among Republican voters. They did do some nice polls on me, I must say. If CNN keeps doing those polls, Ill like them more and more, Trump said. This article originally appeared on The Independent at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-approval-ratings-midterms-b3072742.html