Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin used a Fox News appearance on Wednesday to flip the conversation on Republican talking points, pointing out that President Donald Trump’s approval rating is languishing as Democrats face some of their worst polling in decades.
Fox News host Dana Perino closed out her interview with Martin by noting that Democrats were dealing with their “worst polling ever” and asked him to explain, in just 15 seconds, how the party planned to turn things around.
“Well, we have to do a better job there for sure,” Martin replied. “But remember, Dana, that the ’26 elections and ’25 elections will be a referendum on Donald Trump. And his numbers are actually in the toilet right now.” He went on to say that Trump’s approval rating is sitting at 37 percent, calling him “one of the most unpopular presidents in recent memory.”
Ken Martin on Fox News: “Remember, the ’26 and ’25 elections will be a referendum on Donald Trump, and his numbers are actually in the toilet right now. He’s sitting at 37 percent approval. He’s one of the most unpopular presidents in recent memory, and so if I was the Republican… pic.twitter.com/lKYKCjdVCD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 6, 2025
Martin added that if he were a Republican, he would be worried too, accusing the GOP of trying to “cheat and steal these elections in Texas” to counteract Trump’s weak standing with voters.
National polling in recent weeks has shown Trump’s approval sliding, with multiple surveys pegging him at well below 40 percent. The numbers mark a steep decline from earlier in the year and put him near historic lows for a sitting president heading into a high-stakes election cycle.
Martin’s comments come as Democrats are contending with a major brand problem. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found the party’s favorability at its lowest point in 35 years, with only about a third of Americans viewing Democrats positively. Even among the party’s own base, enthusiasm has softened. While Republicans have gained a slight edge in party identification, Democrats still hold a narrow lead in the generic congressional ballot, suggesting that the public’s dissatisfaction with both major parties could make for unpredictable results next year.
Martin, who took over the DNC earlier this year, has acknowledged the challenge, telling Fox News Digital in a separate interview that the party needs to reconnect with working-class voters and counter the perception that Democrats are too closely aligned with elites. He has been blunt about the task ahead, but on Fox, he sought to shift attention to Trump’s unpopularity, framing it as a liability for Republicans in the coming elections.
Pollsters say the 37 percent approval rating reflects public discontent over a range of issues, from the economy to immigration policy. While Trump remains a dominant figure within the Republican Party, his standing with independent voters has eroded, and Democrats are hoping that will be enough to blunt the GOP’s momentum in 2025 and 2026.
For Martin, the message was clear: the Democrats’ poor polling numbers matter, but so do Trump’s. By making the upcoming elections a referendum on the president, he believes his party can regain ground. Whether that strategy will work remains to be seen, but with Trump’s approval numbers “in the toilet,” as Martin put it, Democrats see an opening they intend to exploit.
Trump’s problems are bigger than the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, as his tariffs have caused economic anxiety, and his immigration policies have been seen as too harsh for many. It is yet to be seen if the Republican Party can win an election without Trump at the top of the ticket.
