Most Americans blame President Donald Trump for elevated prices and dislike his economic handling heading into the Nov. 3 midterms, an AP-NORC survey released around Oct. 1 shows. Sixty-five percent of adults say higher-than-usual prices result from Trump’s policies; 69 percent say his cost-of-living performance has been worse than expected, including 52 percent of Republicans. More than half say the country, the national economy, and their local economy are worse off since his 2025 reelection. Seventy-three percent say the country is on the wrong track.

On Iran, 71 percent disapprove of Trump’s handling and 69 percent say the war has not been worth fighting. Immigration approval held at 39 percent. The poll interviewed 2,140 adults Sept. 24–28 with a ±2.9-point margin of error.

The Washington Post, analyzing the same research wave on Oct. 3, reported voters favor Democrats on key kitchen-table issues even as many distrust both parties to fix them; registered voters preferred Democrats on cost of living 38 percent to 27 percent in related AP-NORC figures highlighted in weekend coverage. The Hill and Examiner tracked the political split: price anger versus a Republican war frame.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Fox News the Iran war “sort of trumped everything else,” warned many Senate races are “jump balls,” and urged candidates in Michigan and Maine to build local brands rather than nationalize the ticket, the Washington Examiner reported. For households, the stake is the grocery and diesel bill that dominates early voting talk. Watch whether subsequent polls move after the G7 diesel release and soft September jobs print.

What we know:
AP-NORC finds deep price blame and economy disapproval; Iran handling is broadly unpopular; Thune says the war overshadows other midterm themes.
What we don’t:
Whether price attitudes harden further by Nov. 3, or whether war-frame messaging can offset economy discontent in battlegrounds.