WASHINGTON — Democratic voters are entering the 2026 midterm campaign with opposition to President Donald Trump serving as a stronger motivator than support for their party’s policy agenda, according to a new national poll. The CBS News/YouGov survey found that 54% of likely Democratic voters said their primary goal was to stop Trump and congressional Republicans from advancing their agenda. The remaining 46% said they were mainly motivated to help Democrats enact their own policies. Republican voters showed the opposite pattern, though by a narrower margin: 57% said they wanted to help Trump and Republicans advance their agenda, while 43% said they primarily wanted to block Democrats. The findings come 51 days before the midterm elections, with Republicans holding an exceptionally narrow House majority. The chamber has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats and one independent, with two vacancies. In the poll’s generic congressional ballot, 54% of likely voters said they would support the Democratic candidate in their district if the election were held immediately, compared with 46% who chose the Republican candidate. The result suggests that dissatisfaction with the president could create a difficult environment for Republican candidates, although national ballot measures do not predict the outcome in individual districts. Trump’s overall approval rating stood at 39%, while 61% of respondents disapproved of his performance. His support also appeared to be a potential liability for Republican candidates: 48% of likely voters said a Trump endorsement would make them less likely to back a candidate, compared with 21% who said it would make them more likely to do so. Economic concerns added to the political headwinds. Just 34% approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, and 27% approved of his handling of inflation. Nearly three-quarters of registered voters said rising prices had caused financial hardship or other difficulties for their families. Gas prices have also climbed sharply since the war with Iran began in February. The national average reached $4.31 per gallon during the week covered by the poll, as the conflict entered its seventh month. Republicans have increasingly emphasized affordability in their midterm messaging. At the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas last week, Trump proposed a $5,000 “dividend” for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win the elections. Such a payment would likely require congressional approval. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the proposal as “creative” during a Sunday appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” but said lawmakers had had “zero time” to evaluate or debate it. The CBS News/YouGov survey interviewed 2,460 U.S. adults from Sept. 8 through Sept. 11. It used a nationally representative sample and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.