Dems are way behind their 2018 support for the midterms — and losing ground, poll finds
By: Ryan King (New York Post)
Where do we stand? Republicans are stuck with a buffoon they're required to ape. President Trump has led the country into another forever war, has deliberately stoked inflation, derailed our America 250 national celebration, and has generally pissed off every ally the United States ever had. President Trump has been leading the charge killing off Democrats' sacred cows which hasn't improved his popularity anywhere.
What has happened to the Democratic Party? Do Democrats think we're all so damned stupid we can't see who and what Donald Trump represents? We can't see what Trump is doing? The only thing Democrats can do is bleat about Trump. Democrats don't have alternatives? They have to run to Europe for new ideas? Democrats have lost the ability to talk American?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
July 19, 2026 -- WASHINGTON — Republicans are gaining on Democrats' lead heading into the midterm elections, a shocking new poll found.
Democrats have a 48% to 45% edge for registered voters on the question of which party should take control of the House of Representatives, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll.
That's a slight slip from May, when 49% of registered voters backed Democrats, compared to 44% who backed Republicans in an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
For context, Democrats had a roughly 10-point lead over Republicans heading into the 2018 midterm elections during a blue wave year, per ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos.
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3AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
"Everyone assuming a landslide in November should just probably rethink that," Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, warned on X about the new poll.
Traditionally, the party in control of the White House loses House seats in the midterm elections. That's been the case in all but two midterm cycles since 1938.
Everyone assuming a landslide in November should just probably rethink that. https://t.co/ofHaOf4DMK — Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) July 18, 2026
But this cycle, Democrats have faced a civil war between the mainstream elements of the party and far-left insurgents. They've also grappled with a broader identity crisis in the wake of their loss in the 2024 election loss to President Trump.
Republicans' main campaign arms also have larger war chests.
All of this, paired with the poll showing the GOP slightly gaining ground, has given Republicans hope that they are still in the game and might have an opportunity to turn things around heading into the midterms — though they are still widely seen as likely to lose the House.
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Perhaps more realistically, the poll indicates that Democrats could have a smaller midterm victory in House races than previously expected.
Overall, Democrats have a 4.7 percentage point lead over Democrats in the generic congressional race, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
Crucially, the ABC-Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that registered voters feel that Republicans better represent them on important issues, 41% to 40%, and that the GOP will do a better job on the economy, 39% to 35%.
But, in a bright spot for Democrats, it found a massive, 10-point lead with voters who are certain to turn out to the polls in November, a lead that's on par with the Dems' edge on enthusiasm in 2018.
Republicans have long been nervous about turnout in November, given that Trump isn't on the ballot and that the party is divided internally over key issues such as the war in Iran.
Trump is also underwater in voters' top issues for the midterms, including the economy, the war in Iran, and immigration.
The poll sampled 2,092 registered voters between July 8-13 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
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Democracy dies in the darkness of partisan delusions. It sure looks like Democrats need to return to America.
Donald Trump IS the Republican Party. And we all know what he is , so therefore we know what the Republican Party is.
The Democrats are our way out, unless you think you will have a nationally viable third party in two years. (you wont)
Dems are a viable alternative in some cases as long as they kick the DSA out of their big tent.
Maybe you do
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I think there have been a lot of comments that show he's not a Trump toady and questions Republicans for their continued support, but he's never indicated a switch to ideals on the left. Seems fairly centrist which I can at least respect. We don't want to confuse those who criticize Democrats where criticism if warranted with those who are just brainless Trump supporters flinging poo.
Democrats are not saints; they make a LOT of mistakes. At the moment, compared to with what Republicans have offered, they are the lesser of the two weevils, but still political weevils when it comes down to it.
I never said he was a trmp toady but he is definitely not centrist.
I would say closer to center than MANY Republicans these days. More a Christian libertarian than evangelical rightwing religious conservative if my read is right.
I think he's all over the place. Can't get a good read on him. But that could be my problem
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a practicing Episcopalian who frequently used Christian justifications for policies. Roosevelt identified himself as a Christian and a Democrat. Roosevelt's applied his Christian principles to advocate for social justice, community service, and his sweeping New Deal programs. Roosevelt was motivated by Social Gospel to address public welfare according to Christian morality.
The New Deal was a Christian program -- not a secular program.
We should all strive to be Christian fanatics in the mold of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Isn't this the ideal that progressives claim they want:
Why shouldn't we prefer Christian Democracy to Democratic Socialism ?
Do you not get that some of us are atheists and don't want religion used as a fucking cudgel? I don;t give a flying fat fuck's ass that those presidents used Christian whatevers for policies. They weren't trying to force religion down anyone's throats like you do! Do you get that now? Nerm?
Fucking religion Does. Not. Make. Anything. Better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What's the alternative? I want America to remain America. I don't want to be a satellite of the EU.
None of us do! But a lot of us don't want an tyrannical theocratic state, either! You may not support trmp but you sound like him. I won;t be dictated to by people who don't want real liberty and freedom. And that means I don't need a fucking god to tell me how to behave and I don't need a fucking government that's going to consign me to the ash bin
So, we're supposed to accept a tyrannical secular state? Secular experts can be just as autocratic as any preacher.
No, just a rational secular state that isn't beholden to any specific religion just as our founders intended. The religious have freedom to practice their religion as long as they don't infringe on the rights of others to do the same. It's not rocket science.
Thank-you. Some people just have to have religion in everything
Yet it's acceptable to infringe on the rights of those who practice religion? It's supposed to be everyone's public square. All manner of material can be publicly displayed -- except Christian material. An image of Adolf Hitler can be publicly displayed, despite protests, as a matter of free speech. But not an image of Jesus Christ. A museum for the Holocaust has a place on the national mall but not the Ten Commandments.
You're right it's not rocket science; it's a double standard.
? Wtf are you talking about? I see Christian shit everywhere! There's Christmas parades and crosses up all over the fucking place. What I don't want to see is that stuff or Muslim shit or Jewish shit injected into our public schools, courts or government. Have your parade, have all the Christians march down the street, the ACLU fought for white conservative Christians rights to do so.
ACLU-EM Defends KKK's Right to Free Speech | American Civil Liberties Union
Where the fuck is that going on? Do you mean in a museum? Where are Christians rights being infringed on any differently than any other religion being told to stay in their lane like Muslims when trying to inject to much sharia into their communities' laws? I don't care what brand of religious extremist you are, just keep the religion shit out of public schools, courthouses and our government.
jesus FUCKING christ!
Nobody is impinging on your right to be a goddamned Christian. Especially here. You are as free to worship as anybody else in this country. So stop the fucking whining!
That's fine. Just keep your secular shit out of public schools, too. Don't use schools to proselytize abortion, gender identity, or progressive talking points.
Try high school history books. You'll find Adolf Hitler pictured there. But a picture of Jesus Christ is not allowed. Mein Kampf can be read by high schoolers but reading the Bible is dicey. It's almost mandatory to teach the history of religious persecution in schools but those dots don't seem to be connected to the founding of the United States.
Don't look under your bed, there might be gays... /s
I can assure you teachers have better things to do that proselytize abortion and gender identity.
? What the fuck.
How are we supposed to keep "secular" shit aka "non-religious" shit out of school? THAT'S ALL THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN SCHOOL!
No one is "proselytizing abortion" or any of that shit in school, they're simply stating facts about those things and religious conservatives lose their fucking minds because they want to control the narrative about EVERYTHING and pretend that gay people and trans people don't exist or aren't worthy of being treated like anyone else.
Bullshit. Utter bullshit.
What's not allowed?
Do not be misled, bad rightwing Christian media spoils useful habits. Don't believe the bullshit, you're being lied to if you think Christians are somehow under attack in America. All anyone is doing is asking them to get back in their fucking lane.