Antipathy to President Trump was a motivating factor for many voters Tuesday, according to early exit polls that showed him with abysmal approval ratings.
The polling conducted for a consortium of television networks found Mr. Trump with just a 38% approval rating. That’s down dramatically from other presidents over the past 20 years, who were all above 40%.
That includes Mr. Trump himself, who had a 45% approval rating in 2018.
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Neither political party fared well. NBC said 54% of voters held an unfavorable view of Democrats, and 59% were down on the GOP.
They did trust Democrats more on most big issues, from the economy and health care to foreign policy.
The GOP still held an edge on immigration.
But issues may have mattered less in this election than past ones, with Mr. Trump making the vote so much about him — and his party may suffer for it.
The early poll returns said voters felt Mr. Trump prioritizes himself over the country’s interests, and blamed him for a worsening economy and higher prices they’re paying.
Three-quarters of voters said the economy is hurting, and about 80% said inflation is hitting them personally.
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