President Donald Trump has hit rock bottom with several key voting blocs ahead of the 2026 midterm election, and it reveals "what could be to come," according to one political expert.
Paul Rieckhoff, host of the "Independent Americans" podcast, told CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront" on Thursday that Trump is losing ground with independent voters — whom he described as a barometer for political popularity — and within his own base. That could spell disaster for Trump as the 2026 midterm elections approach, he warned.
"Trump hastotally bottomed out withindependents. Almost everythinghe's doing is unpopular now," Rieckhoff said. "The Iran War, the tariffs, theballroom, the arch. And I think it's going to get worse because now we've got Memorial Day, where people are going to be driving all across America, and they're going to see gas prices in some states over five bucks a gallon."
"Memorial Day is going to be areminder about the human cost ofwar," he continued. "We did lose 13 troops inIran, and he wants more war.He's talking about Cuba now. Itseems more likely than not thathe will hit Cuba. So he'sbottoming out with independents. He's bottoming out within hisown base with the people hepromised no new wars, noforeign wars, no never-endingwars. And I think people arestarting to smell what's cookinghere."
"He's also got people like Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who he came after, who are now turning against him because they're empowered on Iran," he added. "They crossed him in Iran.And I think that's thebeginning of what could come."
Rieckhoff's comments came at a time when polling showed Trump has lost significant ground with GOP and independent voters. A recent Quinnipiac poll found just 26% of independent voters approve of Trump's job in office. About 54% of so-called non-MAGA Republicans reported supporting Trump as well, compared to 80% of MAGA-aligned Republicans.