A series of polls released this week point to a modest but widening advantage for Democrats in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections and continued headwinds for President Donald Trump’s approval ratings. The August Strength in Numbers/Verasight survey of 1,500 U.S. adults, conducted Aug. 18-21, shows Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot 49% to 41%, the party’s largest margin in that series and up from a four-point edge in July. A separate YouGov/Economist poll dated Aug. 25 places Democrats ahead 43% to 41%, narrowing from a five-point gap a week earlier. Trump’s overall job‐approval numbers remain negative across most surveys. The Strength in Numbers poll pegs his rating at 41% approve and 56% disapprove, identical to its July reading. Gallup records a 40% approval, while Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll—often more favorable to the president—puts approval at 50% and disapproval at 49%. Subgroup results underline the partisan and demographic split. Gallup finds 93% of Republicans approve of the president, a new high for his second term, yet a DecisionDesk average shows only 44.4% approval among Hispanic voters. In North Carolina, a Catawba College/YouGov survey taken Aug. 11-18 reports Trump at 45% approval against 54% disapproval, a nine-point deficit that reverses a two-point surplus recorded in March. Polling also assessed other high-profile figures. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s nationwide favorability stands at 36% positive and 47% negative, according to YouGov, while first-term Ohio Senator JD Vance posts a narrower 48%–46% split in an RMG poll. The mixed reviews for these potential 2028 contenders mirror the electorate’s broader volatility heading into the midterm cycle.