Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults are expressing heightened disillusionment with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party as the November 3 midterm elections approach. According to a comprehensive survey conducted by AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Democrats have secured a substantial 20-percentage-point advantage over Republicans on managing the economy and immigration—marking a sharp shift from early 2025. Driven by elevated living costs and gas price surges linked to the ongoing war with Iran, approval of President Trump’s economic handling among AAPI adults has plummeted to 22%. However, despite growing trust in Democratic policy platforms, AAPI voters remain deeply split on the Democratic Party itself, reflecting widespread political cynicism across the national electorate.
Shift in AAPI Electorate Dynamics
WASHINGTON — Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters are pulling back from President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections, according to new polling data released by AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The survey, fielded from September 8 to 15, 2026, reveals that the initial gains and post-election goodwill President Trump achieved among AAPI communities following his return to the White House have largely evaporated. Fueled by compounding cost-of-living pressures, high inflation, and energy price volatility resulting from the ongoing conflict with Iran, AAPI adults are extending significant trust advantages to the Democratic Party on core kitchen-table issues like healthcare, immigration, and economic management.
However, the survey highlights a nuanced political reality: while AAPI adults favor Democratic policy positions, they express ambivalence toward the Democratic Party as an institution, echoing broader national fatigue with partisan politics in Washington.
“What the data show is that any gains that he made not only during the 2024 election — there was a bit of a honeymoon period that Trump enjoyed after the election before Inauguration Day — that has now largely disappeared,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and executive director of AAPI Data.
Economic Pressure and Inflation Control Priority
Economic conditions dominate the political considerations of the AAPI electorate as election day nears. An overwhelming 89% of AAPI adults identify the economy as one of the most critical issues determining their vote, while 83% cite the rising cost of living. Healthcare ranks close behind, with 73% prioritizing it. By contrast, roughly half of respondents identify foreign policy, crime, immigration, election integrity, or climate change as top voting priorities.
Public perception of President Trump’s handling of the economy has steadily deteriorated over the past year. Only 22% of AAPI adults currently approve of Trump’s economic performance, down 10 percentage points over the course of the year. Similarly, overall favorability toward Trump among AAPI adults has fallen to 29%, down from approximately 40% immediately following the 2024 election cycle.
For voters in rural and suburban communities, daily financial pressure is driving political recalibration. In Corning, Iowa, 45-year-old Korean American voter Rebecca Larocco reflected on the shifting economic conditions in her local area. A 2016 Trump voter who continues to lean Republican on border security, Larocco voiced deep uncertainty over current economic trajectory and energy costs.
“Where I’m at, it’s went up almost $1.50 (a gallon),” Larocco said, referring to regional retail gas price spikes triggered by the Middle East conflict. “I didn’t expect to go into war at all, that has been definitely unexpected and I’m not sure… I’m just hoping they’ll do what they’re saying and get our economy back on track, get immigration and crime lowered.”
Realignment of Issue Trust
The survey documents a major shift in issue trust since early 2025. In an AAPI Data/AP-NORC survey conducted in March 2025, AAPI adults were evenly divided between the two major political parties on who was better equipped to manage the national economy and handle immigration policy.
In the latest September 2026 poll, Democrats have established a 20-percentage-point lead over Republicans on both economic management and immigration policy. The shift follows widespread public concern over large-scale immigration enforcement operations and persistent inflationary pressures on household budgets. Overall, two-thirds (66%) of AAPI adults hold an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, while only 24% hold a favorable view.
Despite the growth in issue trust for Democrats, the party has not fully converted that trust into broad organizational popularity. The survey found that AAPI adults remain divided on the Democratic Party itself: 44% hold a favorable view, while 48% express an unfavorable impression.
This dynamic reflects a broader pattern of institutional skepticism across the electorate. A parallel national AP-NORC survey of registered voters found widespread dissatisfaction with both major political parties, with few voters expressing confidence in either party’s capacity to solve major policy challenges.
In Chicago, 40-year-old Democrat Louise Rider explained that while she consistently favors Democratic policy proposals over Republican alternatives, she remains frustrated by Washington’s legislative paralysis.
“I don’t think the Democrats are doing great, I think they need a lot of change as a party,” Rider said. “It’s kind of a helpless feeling, that nothing will get done with both parties unless there’s major changes.”
Conversely, some conservative AAPI voters maintain support for President Trump despite economic headwinds. James Finley, a 74-year-old resident of Lenox, Massachusetts, who is of Japanese heritage, argued that complex economic problems cannot be resolved immediately. While Finley expressed criticism of congressional Republicans for failing to pass key legislation during their majority, he expressed continued alignment with the party.
“They’ve had the majority for a couple of years,” Finley said. “I think they could have done a little bit more or maybe a lot more in terms of passing certain things that I wanted to pass… but all I ever hear from Democrats is to get Trump.”
Concerns Over Electoral Integrity and Misinformation
Beyond economic and healthcare priorities, the survey revealed anxiety among AAPI adults regarding election administration, voting access, and foreign interference ahead of the midterms.
According to the data, 64% of AAPI adults view attempts by foreign governments to influence U.S. election outcomes as a “major problem.” Additionally, 55% see the rejection of valid absentee ballots as a major concern, and 54% view voter suppression as a significant issue. Approximately half of respondents reported being “extremely” or “very” concerned about false information surrounding candidates and potential legal challenges to election results.
Voter perspectives on election security vary based on political orientation. Finley expressed skepticism regarding whether local election authorities can adequately monitor polling places to prevent unauthorized voting.
In contrast, Len Takahashi, a 57-year-old Japanese American conservative from Universal City, Texas—who noted he has supported Democrats in recent presidential elections while backing Republicans in midterms—expressed concern regarding rhetoric surrounding election administration. Takahashi voiced worry that unsubstantiated claims of systemic fraud could be used to contest midterm outcomes.
“I would like policies that look in the best interest of the American public,” Takahashi said, outlining his core priorities for elected officials. “That could be bringing down spending, a balanced budget of U.S. spending, bringing down inflation, working towards a more stable economy and, lastly, just a better atmosphere between the far left and far right.”
Takahashi added that amplifying claims of “fraud in the election system” if midterm results are unfavorable would serve to “distract the American public.”
The survey was conducted using online and telephone interviews in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean among a nationally representative sample of 1,023 AAPI adults. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.
