Trump Gets a Dire Midterm Warning as MAGA Turns Toxic

The MAGA label is now scaring off more voters than a Trump endorsement or a democratic socialist candidate, according to a new economic survey.

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The latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey, of 1,000 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, found that half are unlikely to support a democratic socialist candidate, while 32 percent said the label would make them more likely to back one.

The worst brand of all belongs to Trump’s own movement: 57 percent of voters said a self-described MAGA candidate would make them less likely to vote for them, while only 27 percent said it would help, making MAGA a bigger political liability than either socialism or the president’s own endorsement.

The finding comes as democratic socialist candidates have been winning Democratic primaries across the country following the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a trend Republicans have seized on to brand Democrats as communists. Despite that effort, the poll suggests Democrats will still have the upper hand heading into a midterm election widely viewed as a referendum on Trump.

The socialism finding lands amid a broader economic gloom that’s settled over the country despite a booming stock market and improving inflation numbers. The same survey found that 61 percent of the public were pessimistic about the current and future state of the economy, the highest share since December 2023, while only 25 percent were optimistic.

Nearly half report cutting back on essentials like food and medical care, up six points from April, while two-thirds say they’re cutting nonessential spending like eating out and entertainment.

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Trump’s own approval numbers remain deeply underwater, with 40 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving, a point worse than April and, at minus 22 net approval, the lowest of his political career. Sixty percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, compared with 38 percent approving.

His numbers on Iran are worse still, with 63 percent disapproving of his handling of the war, and just 48 percent of the public believing the military action is worth it, down from 53 percent in April.

Yet Democrats aren’t cashing in as much as the numbers might suggest. The party holds just a four-point edge in congressional preference, with 49 percent preferring Democratic control and 45 percent preferring Republicans.

“It means Democrats have an advantage at this point now, five months out from the election, but it’s not an overwhelming advantage,” said Jay Campbell, partner at Hart Research, the Democratic pollster for the survey. “It doesn’t point to a wave at the moment.”