President Trump’s pollsters say the Republican Party’s biggest hurdle heading into 2026 isn’t policy or enthusiasm — it’s getting its message past what they call a “left‑wing” news media.
In their view, the “truth” is on their side; the challenge is making sure voters hear it.
John and Jim McLaughlin, longtime pollsters for Mr. Trump, argue that their data shows a simple pattern: When voters receive accurate information, opinions shift quickly. That, they say, is precisely why Republicans struggle to break through.
“Winning the 2026 midterms will require President Trump and Republicans to speak directly to the American people — bypassing hostile media filters, repeating clear economic facts, and relentlessly contrasting results with Democratic misinformation,” they wrote in a pre-Christmas analysis posted on Newsmax. “This means more Presidential rallies, more media blitzkriegs and more focus on social media.”
Mr. Trump has also been dissatisfied with the media’s coverage of his administration and the impact of his policies.
Both parties routinely accuse the other of living inside information bubbles.
Pew Research has found that Democrats tend to trust national news outlets far more than Republicans do — from the three major broadcast networks to CNN and The New York Times.
Republicans, by contrast, place much more trust in Fox News, Newsmax, Breitbart and personalities such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson.
“In many cases, supporters of the two main U.S. political parties are relying largely on different sources of news and information,” Pew said in a recent analysis.
In its latest survey, McLaughlin & Associates argues that the national media’s anti‑Trump tilt effectively turns it into a “political gatekeeper rather than a neutral messenger.”
The research company’s numbers paint a mixed picture.
They show Mr. Trump’s approval rating sits at 50% — notably higher than the RealClearPolitics polling average — and that 38% of voters think the country is on the right track, while 55% say it’s on the wrong one. Just over a quarter of voters say they feel more optimistic and better off than in recent years, and 56% believe the economy is getting worse.
Those views grow even more negative among Americans who regularly consume left‑leaning media. In that group, Mr. Trump’s approval drops to 43%. Only 36% say the country is headed in the right direction, and 62% say the economy is worsening.
Inflation remains the dominant concern across the board. Roughly 8 in 10 voters say rising prices have hurt them, including 42% who say they’re struggling to make ends meet.
McLaughlin & Associates says media bias was on display during Mr. Trump’s recent trip to Pennsylvania, where he sought to argue that his administration has strengthened the economy after inheriting what he describes as a mess from President Biden.
The McLaughlin group says news outlets ignored graphs that laid out the White House’s case, highlighting its success in wage growth, inflation, gas prices, manufacturing and taxes.
The company calls that omission a “deliberate act of information suppression” and insists that when voters are presented with what they consider factual data, public opinion shifts quickly.
“The problem is not the facts,” McLaughlin & Associates concludes.
The McLaughlin & Associates survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted from Dec. 15-19 and had a 3.1% margin of error.
