Gallup: Most U.S. voters say Trump doesn't deserve 2nd term

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A majority of American voters say President Donald Trump does not deserve to be re-elected and almost 70% say most members of Congress don't, either, according to a Gallup poll Thursday.

The survey, taken between Sept. 30 and Oct. 15, found that 56% of registered voters said Trump doesn't deserve a second term. Additionally, 68% said "most" federal lawmakers also don't deserve to keep their seats in Congress.

The survey was taken after the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, during which the president was criticized for repeatedly talking over Biden, and after Trump picked up COVID-19 and underwent several days of constant treatment.

The poll found that 43% of voters said Trump deserves re-election and 29% said most members of Congress do also.

However, 60% said their home district representatives in Congress deserve to keep their seats. Gallup has found that since 1998, at least 50% of respondents have said their representative deserves re-election.

"The percentage of voters who say Trump deserves re-election to a second term is down seven percentage points from Gallup's previous measure in January -- a much different time in Trump's presidency, when confidence in the U.S. economy was high, the Senate was preparing to vote to keep Trump in office during his impeachment trial, and only a few cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the U.S.," Gallup wrote.

Politically, 93% of Republicans, 36% of independents and 3% of Democrats said Trump deserves a second term.

Trump and Biden will face off in their final debate of the 2020 campaign on Thursday night, but whatever the outcome, Gallup says it will unlikely be enough to move the needle with voters.

"Historically, debates have rarely changed voter preferences."

Recent surveys have showed Trump winning small majorities for his handling of the economy and his recent nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for Thursday's survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.