President Donald Trump has nearly completed just his 10th month in office, and already there are signs that he is losing touch with his supporters and Middle America.
With a focus on foreign policy instead of America First issues, the continued government shutdown, his stubbornness in refusing to see sustained price increases on everyday groceries, even unbiased pollsters are reporting a slide in his approval ratings, and a growing sense that the nation is heading in the wrong direction.
Tuesday’s elections seemed to capture some of that. While he did well in New Jersey voting in 2024, the Republican gubernatorial candidate was crushed. In Virginia, the top three commonwealth jobs held by Republicans will soon be held by liberal Democrats.
Right Direction is down to 38% today.
That’s the lowest since before the inauguration.
— Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports (@honestpollster) November 7, 2025
The Washington Examiner’s Naomi Lim detailed growing concerns that Trump’s base is cracking as he focuses on foreign policy instead of kitchen table issues.
“Trump has been spending a lot of time on foreign policy and not as much time on domestic policy,” Republican strategist John Feehery told her. “That typically is what happens in the second term for a president, but it has an impact. People don’t really give a s*** what’s going on in Europe. They care what’s happening in the backyard. And the president needs to mind that as he’s thinking of the midterms,” he added.
Our graders agreed. Conservative analyst Jed Babbin gave Trump a weekly grade of “D” and slammed his overseas obsessions. Democratic pollster John Zogby graded the president “F,” and said no spin by the White House could hide that voters on Tuesday turned out to cast ballots against the White House.
John Zogby
Grade: F
What did Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, California, Pennsylvania, and hundreds of small cities and towns have in common this week? They all voted against President Donald Trump.
To be sure, there were local issues and candidates that mattered, but in those elections where there were exit polls, voters cited the cost of living as the major factor in their vote, with health care next.
While Trump blamed some of the Republican losses on him not being on the ballot to draw votes, he is the guy at the top of the heap, and that is the person who gets the blame (or credit) from voters.
Almost two in three in Virginia and New Jersey said they were dissatisfied or angry about the direction of the country, and majorities in both states said the president has gone too far on immigration policy. Majorities in both states gave him a negative job rating. There was a high voter turnout, and Democrats outperformed in both states. Young voters turned out and voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, with about 60% of the Hispanic vote and over 90% of blacks.
In New Jersey, while the GOP nominee for governor won among men, it was hardly the margin he needed to offset his opponent’s 27-point margin among women. In short, Democrats seem to have won back their losses among key members of their traditional voting blocs.
Meanwhile, there was more buzz about a recession and job cuts in October that have been the highest in 22 years.
The president has called for an end of the federal government shutdown and certainly sees that his party has been hurt by it — but still refuses to fully fund SNAP food benefits, winning a late Friday night endorsement of his inaction from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jed Babbin
Grade: D
It was a dismal week for President Donald Trump and his team. Tuesday’s election results were bloody awful, his threats to intervene “guns-a-blazing” in Nigeria were questionable, and the military’s repeated strikes on Venezuelan drug boats, while beneficial, may or may not be legal.
The two gubernatorial races, in Virginia and New Jersey, were both won by Democrats. It was pretty much an anti-Trump vote. The Democrats have nothing else to run on, so they just campaign on the theme of “Orange man bad.” Virginia even elected a guy who had previously said he’d like to murder the commonwealth’s top Republican legislator and as his kids watch. Both races were huge indications of Republican weakness. All bode ill for the 2026 midterms.
In New York, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won, which was no surprise but clearly violated common sense. With promises to “tax the rich,” defund the police and make city services free (including city-sponsored grocery stores) it’s very clear that the city can’t afford anything Mamdani wants to do. People — and businesses — will be fleeing Noo Yawk in droves.
Trump’s threat to invade Nigeria, where Christians are being slaughtered by Muslim terrorists, was welcomed by the Nigerian government if the U.S. promises to respect their sovereignty. (Any intervention by U.S. troops would, by definition, be a violation of that sovereignty.) It’s probably just another example of Trump making empty threats.
Medal of Honor recipient Cpl. Kyle Carpenter explains his view on the warrior mindset in celebration of the 250th Marine Corps Birthday.#Marines stationed across the globe commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps, honoring a distinguished legacy of service,… pic.twitter.com/ryyUho9dOd
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) November 6, 2025
While we’re on the subject of military action, how about Trump’s strikes on alleged drug boats? They may be legal, and they may not be. Nobody can say for sure.
On a happier note, Monday is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps. Happy Birthday to all my Marine pals.
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Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.