US Midterms: Exit polls reveal voter dissatisfaction with Trump administration as economic concerns dominate 2026 elections

Widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the United States is emerging as a key theme in the 2026 midterm elections, with exit polls cited by CBS News indicating that roughly three-quarters of voters are unhappy with how the country is progressing. The findings suggest that frustration has intensified since the 2024 presidential election, with more voters expressing anger over the state of affairs as economic concerns continue to influence public opinion.

The economy remains one of the biggest sources of voter anxiety, particularly as many Americans remain unconvinced that financial conditions have improved.

Economic concerns and confidence in Donald Trump's ability to address them played an important role in his 2024 election victory. However, the latest polling findings suggest that dissatisfaction over the economy has persisted, despite those expectations.

Democratic voters appear particularly likely to express anger about the country's direction, according to the CBS News findings.

The results point to a broader mood of frustration that cuts across the election debate, with economic pressures and dissatisfaction with national leadership shaping voters' views.

The latest findings also indicate that negative views of the US economy are more widespread than they were during the 2024 election.

According to CBS News, voters' assessments of economic conditions now resemble those recorded during the 2022 midterm elections, when the party controlling the White House lost seats in Congress.

The comparison places the economy back at the centre of the political debate, as voters assess the gap between expectations and their current financial circumstances.

While exit polls offer an early picture of voter sentiment, they do not determine election outcomes. The final results will depend on the votes counted across individual races and states.

CNN Voter Poll highlights opposition to Trump's tariffs and immigration policies

The preliminary national results of CNN's Voter Poll offer further insight into voter dissatisfaction with several major priorities of the Trump administration, including tariffs and immigration enforcement.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Trump's tariffs had hurt their local economy, while only about one in seven believed the policies had helped. The remaining voters said the tariffs had made little or no difference.

Immigration enforcement also emerged as a point of disagreement, with a majority of voters saying the administration's actions had gone too far.

At the same time, around six in 10 respondents said immigrants contribute more to the United States than they take away, while the rest believed their impact was more negative.

Foreign policy findings revealed further differences between voters and the president. Roughly six in 10 respondents considered the decision to take military action against Iran to be wrong.

Around half also said US support for Israel was too strong, a notable increase from 31% who expressed that view in 2024.

Voters raise concerns over data centres and artificial intelligence

The CNN survey also found resistance to the expansion of data centre infrastructure and concerns about the wider impact of artificial intelligence.

Approximately three-quarters of voters said they would oppose the construction of new data centres in their communities, suggesting that the issue has become a source of local concern.

Public opinion on artificial intelligence was similarly cautious.

More than half of respondents believed AI would do more harm than good for society, while around one-quarter expected it to have a positive impact. Approximately one in five said the technology would neither help nor hurt society.

Taken together, the CBS News and CNN polling findings point to a range of concerns shaping the 2026 midterm electorate, extending beyond the economy to immigration, foreign policy and emerging technologies.

While the surveys provide an early indication of voter sentiment, the final election results will determine how these concerns translate into outcomes across congressional and state-level races.