71% Say America Is on the Wrong Track. Voters Are Handing Both Parties a Complaint.

Fifteen days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, 71% of American adults say the country is on the "wrong track," according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. It is the highest share of President Donald Trump's second term, and for the first time in that term the share saying "right track" has fallen into the 20s.

The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.

What the poll found

Trump's approval rating fell to 34% among adults, a second-term low in this poll, with 66% disapproving, NBC News reported. A majority, 51%, said they "strongly disapprove," also a second-term high. Among registered voters, his rating was 39% approve and 61% disapprove.

Registered voters preferred Democrats over Republicans to control Congress by 55% to 45%. Republicans hold both the House and the Senate.

The president still has 76% approval among Republican adults, but NBC said that is down from earlier readings, driven by Republicans who see themselves more as party supporters than MAGA supporters. His approval is 21% among independents, 28% among men under 30 and 31% among Latinos.

The economy topped the list of most important issues at 31%. Forty-four percent said their finances are worse than a year ago, 38% said about the same and 18% said better. Trump's approval on the cost of living was 27%, on the war with Iran 29% and on border security and immigration, his best issue, 43%. Two-thirds called gas prices a serious problem.

Trump has promised $5,000 payments if Republicans keep Congress. Only 14% of adults said they definitely or probably expect a check, while 71% said they probably or definitely will not. Among self-identified Republicans, 47% do not expect the payment and 28% do. Dock Line wrote about that promise this weekend, when Trump repeated his $5,000 "Trump Dividend" pledge at a Kentucky rally.

Neither party is popular

Democrats should not celebrate. Just 43% of adults view the Democratic Party favorably and 57% unfavorably. The Republican Party stands at 37% favorable and 63% unfavorable.

A majority, 52%, said the Trump administration is more corrupt than previous ones. But 56% said corruption is equally bad in both parties, while 25% called it a bigger Republican problem and 17% a bigger Democratic one. Asked whether a Democratic House should begin impeachment proceedings, adults split 52% to 48%.

The poll surveyed 19,135 adults online from Sept. 28 to Oct. 12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, USA Today reported. USA Today noted the results roughly match new lows in a Washington Post-ABC News poll and a Fox News poll released in recent days.

Opinion: A warning to both parties

Polls are snapshots, not verdicts. Field work ended a week ago, and voters can change their minds. But a number like 71% is hard to wave away, and it is driven by something every family understands: the grocery bill, the gas pump and a paycheck that does not stretch as far.

Republicans should take the hint. A promise of a $5,000 check is not landing, not even with nearly half of Republicans. Voters want prices to come down and leaders to deal straight with them. Steady work on the cost of living would do more for the party than any rally pledge.

Democrats should take a hint too. Most Americans still view their party unfavorably, and a midterm run on impeachment would split the country almost exactly in half. Voters have not handed either side a mandate. They have handed both sides a complaint.

Christians, of all people, should keep this in perspective. "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psalm 146:3). Our hope does not rise and fall with an approval rating. But Scripture also says, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). Whoever wins on Nov. 3 should remember who they answer to, and so should those of us who vote.