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CATAWBA-YOUGOV SURVEY FINDS NORTH CAROLINIANS DISAPPROVE OF TRUMP, PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE, AND AGAINST THE MILITARY’S PRESENCE IN CITIES
Majorities disapprove of federal recovery efforts a year-out from Hurricane Helene and see Trump’s use of force as ‘dictatorial’
A majority of North Carolinians continue to disapprove of President Donald Trump and are pessimistic about the future of the country, according to the latest Catawba-YouGov Survey.
In the survey administered October 16-24, 52 percent of the 1,000 respondents disapprove of the president, compared to 55 percent when surveyed in August. Forty-four (44) percent approve, which was almost unchanged from the August survey (45 percent). The survey’s overall margin of error (adjusted for weights) is plus/minus 3.79 percent, meaning that in 95 out of 100 samples such as the one used here, the results should be at most 3.79 percentage points above or below the figure obtained by interviewing all North Carolinians. Where the results of subgroups are reported, the margin of error will be greater. Survey results should be viewed as informative and not determinative.
Self-identified partisans demonstrate North Carolina’s deep divide: 86 percent of North Carolina Republicans approve (strongly or somewhat), while 88 percent of Democrats disapprove of the president. A majority (55 percent) of North Carolina Independents disapprove of Trump, compared to 41 percent who approve.
“President Trump’s numbers appear to be settling into an underwater pattern in the state, and when combined with Tuesday’s election results, the canary in the coal mine is showing 2026 to be a classic mid-term environment,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service at Catawba College, which wrote and paid for the survey.
“Going into 2026 and the mid-term elections, presidents with negative ratings are never a good sign for that party, which historically has lost seats in Congress. Tuesday’s results show a greater-than-expected electoral shift to the Democrats, and the issue of how voters view the economy, combined with an unpopular president and a pessimistic electorate, could be key drivers in the battle for control of Congress a year out,” Bitzer added.
In gauging the mood of North Carolinians about the future of the nation before Tuesday’s results, half of respondents said they were pessimistic about the nation’s future, with a third saying they were optimistic. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Democrats and half (52 percent) of Independents are pessimistic, but 56 percent of Republicans said they are optimistic.
The Catawba-YouGov Survey asked about North Carolinian’s opinions on a variety of topics, including a year after Hurricane Helene, the use of the military in American cities, approval and disapproval of other officials, and an early sense of where the state stands for the 2026 mid-term elections.
Read more about the new survey findings at:
https://www.catawba.edu/news/all-news/2025/yougov-17/
Special note: we'll have more findings next week from the October Survey on North Carolinians' attitudes on political polarization, political violence, and more.
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