Disapproval of Congress ties record high at 86%

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A new Gallup poll shows disapproval of Congress has tied the all-time record high at 86 percent. Approval stands at just 10 percent, barely above the historic low of 9 percent.

Nearly nine in ten Americans now reject the job their elected representatives are doing in Washington. This level of public disgust exposes deep frustration with congressional gridlock, self-interest, and repeated failure to deliver results for citizens.

The latest peak arrives amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, now in its 10th week. Historically, three of the five previous disapproval records since 1974 also aligned with government shutdowns or serious threats of closure.

Further souring sentiment is Congress’s failure to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The legislation, which passed the House in 2025, would require citizenship documentation before registering to vote. Tensions over war powers in the U.S. conflict with Iran, persistently high gas prices, and ethics scandals that triggered two congressional resignations have added to the backlash.

The Republican-led 119th Congress opened with 17 percent approval in January 2025. It briefly climbed to 31 percent in March before collapsing after the longest federal government shutdown in history began October 1. Disapproval has since risen steadily to 86 percent.

Republicans drove much of the recent decline after their approval fell sharply from 63 percent in March. Currently, only 3 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of independents approve of Congress.