Trump's approval slump meets Republicans' blame-Biden pitch
Antonia Hylton's MS NOW panel examines economic frustration and why Texas turnout could complicate the polling picture.
MS NOW
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 899,632 views a day, 12 times a normal first day on this channel (77,303).
Trump’s Approval HITS NEW LOW as the Midterm Clock Runs Down
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:00Hylton introduces a poll showing Trump's approval at 33% among registered voters as early voting proceeds.
- 1:17Vance attributes high gas prices to refinery changes under Biden; Bessent then addresses inflation and the Iran conflict.
- 3:04Weigel questions whether blaming Biden for economic problems will persuade voters, drawing parallels with the 2010 midterms.
- 6:30Flores connects immigration enforcement and border issues to local economic pressures and Latino voting dynamics in Texas.
- 10:14Ramirez considers whether national polls could undercount Republican support amid economic frustration in border communities.
JD Vance points to refinery changes under Joe Biden. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faces questions about inflation and fuel prices amid the Iran conflict. On MS NOW's The Assignment, Antonia Hylton puts those Republican explanations beside an uncomfortable poll: Trump's approval stands at 33% among registered voters.
The Washington Post poll, as presented in the segment, also finds Democrats more trusted on the economy for the first time in more than a decade. With the midterms approaching, the discussion asks whether blaming the previous administration can persuade voters unhappy with their bills.
Semafor politics reporter Dave Weigel is skeptical, drawing a comparison with the economic blame arguments surrounding the 2010 midterms. Rolling Stone reporter Nikki McCann Ramirez shifts the question from national sentiment to who actually votes, particularly in Texas. Republican turnout, she says, remains a major uncertainty until election day.
The segment drew about 417,000 views in its first eight hours, already well beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for a regular video.
Its Texas discussion goes beyond campaign messaging. Andrea Flores, founder of Securing America's Promise and a former DHS official, examines how immigration enforcement and border issues affect local economies and Latino voters. Weigel then considers shifting voting patterns in the Rio Grande Valley, before Ramirez raises the possibility that national polls could be undercounting Republican support. The panel's distinction is useful: an approval rating measures dissatisfaction, but turnout determines how much of it reaches the ballot box.
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- Channel
- MS NOW
- Subscribers
- 10,000,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 95,759,231
- Channel views, pace per day
- 12,416,432 (on a normal day: 12,894,434)
- Video published
- October 18, 2026
- Video views so far
- 417,096 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 899,632
The numbers
The segment passed MS NOW's usual first-day view total within eight hours. Across the channel, daily views remained slightly below their usual level.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which news outlet does panelist Dave Weigel report for?
Weigel appears on the panel as a Semafor politics reporter.