First midterm poll lands: Trump at 38% approval as economy tops voter fears

Networks finally got their first read on the American electorate Tuesday night — and it lands like a thud for Donald Trump. CNN reported the president's approval rating at 38%, with 62% of voters disapproving. The economy topped the list of voter concerns at 39%, followed by democracy at 32%.

Voters aren't feeling warm and fuzzy about their wallets either. Some 44% said their financial situation is worse than it was two years ago, 18% said it's better, and 38% called it about the same. On the state of the country, 37% said they're dissatisfied and 38% said they're flat-out angry. Only about a quarter — 25% — described themselves as enthusiastic or satisfied.

CNN's David Chalian called it an electorate hungry for change, while cautioning the numbers will shift as the night rolls on, according to the network. Jake Tapper pointed out one small silver lining for Republicans: the 44% who feel worse off sits below what recent polls on a similar question have shown. Over at the White House, CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins described the mood as fatalistic, saying the open question is how Trump absorbs the result and responds.

The numbers come from The Voter Poll, a preliminary read on early, vote-by-mail and Election Day voters conducted by SSRS and subscribed to by all the major networks. They arrive after a flood of pre-election polling that had Democrats dreaming of a wave and rising odds of flipping both chambers of Congress. Pollsters have been cagey about the possibility of being wrong again, especially given how hard right-leaning rural voters are to reach.

Trump has long waved off unflattering polls as fake, and the reliability fight got louder when FCC chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters about amplifying fraudulent surveys — a remark that came after two polls cited by prognosticators turned out to be fabricated. Democrats and others slammed the statement as an attempt to chill election coverage.

The night is also a stress test for the legacy networks, which are battling a swarm of influencers and ex-network stars for eyeballs. Jim Acosta and Katie Couric are teaming up for a livestream as results land, while Chris Cillizza and Chuck Todd are running their own coverage with Decision Desk HQ. NBC News is countering with 13 hours on the broadcast network plus a dedicated stream from data guru Steve Kornacki. First poll closings hit at 6 p.m. ET in eastern Kentucky and Indiana, with the rest of those states — plus Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia — closing an hour later.