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Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261111-374

Poll: 45% of MAGA supporters say their movement lost in the midterms

A Politico poll taken after the election finds nearly half of self-described MAGA voters call their own movement a loser. It is a sign of doubt in the Republican base after Democrats won both chambers of Congress.

By the Campaign Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Donald Trump
Donald Trump. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain

A new Politico poll finds that 45 percent of self-identified MAGA voters say the MAGA movement was a loser in the midterm elections. MAGA stands for "Make America Great Again," President Donald Trump's political movement. The results were reported Wednesday by The Independent and The Daily Beast. 23

The survey sampled 2,000 adults and was taken Nov. 7-10, according to the Independent's report. The coverage did not give a margin of error or name the company that ran the poll. I could not read Politico's own write-up, so these figures come from those two reports. 23

What the poll found

Among all Americans, 59 percent called the MAGA movement a loser of the midterms, and 62 percent said the same of Trump. 2 Among MAGA voters, 45 percent named their own movement a loser. Another 43 percent named moderate Republicans, and 42 percent named working-class Americans. 2

Only 34 percent of MAGA voters called Trump himself a loser. 2 The Daily Beast report gave 35 percent in one place and 34 percent in another, so treat that number as approximate. 3

From Channel GOP60 Minutes presses Trump on missing health planDonald Trump · 30K plays · captioned, with the source named

Non-MAGA Republicans were harsher. About three-fifths said MAGA lost, and 59 percent said Trump lost. 3

Doubt inside the base

The poll fits other signs of unease. A Reuters analysis of 12,850 social media posts found that more than 20 percent of self-described MAGA loyalists raised doubts about the movement's leadership and direction. 4

Trump has cost us.
Michael Little, three-time Trump voter, quoted by Reuters4

That is how one three-time Trump voter, 59-year-old Michael Little, put it to Reuters. 4

Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. That gives them the power to obstruct Trump's legislative agenda. 1 Some Republicans have blamed the president. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the results showed the need for a wider Republican reckoning. 1

Vice President JD Vance gave four reasons for the defeat. He said Republicans should have ended the Iran war, tackled living costs, put America First policies ahead of other goals, and changed U.S. ties with Israel. 1 A White House official told Newsweek the administration's mood was "defiant." The official argued that Trump's absence from the ballot and the quality of GOP candidates helped explain the results. 1

Why it matters

That matters because the movement's strength has depended on loyal voters showing up. A poll cannot say whether those voters will stay home or turn out in 2028. But it shows that a large share of the base does not think the movement won this fall. The Reuters analysis suggests some of them are asking who should lead it next. 24

Next, watch how Republican leaders answer. Trump's allies argue the loss was about candidates and the ballot. Critics inside the party are pointing at Trump and the Iran war. 1 The poll shows the party's own voters are not united behind either account. 2

The Record

  1. Politico begins polling 2,000 adults on who won and lost the midterms; fieldwork runs through Nov. 10. 2
  2. Reuters reports that more than 20 percent of self-described MAGA loyalists raised doubts about the movement's leadership and direction. 4
  3. Poll reported: 45 percent of MAGA supporters call the MAGA movement a midterm loser. 23
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “Trump's Midterm Blow: The Conversation” (2026-11-11). newsweek.com/trumps-midterm-blow-the-conversation-12692779
  2. The Independent (via Yahoo), “Even Trump's own MAGA voters think they were the biggest losers in the midterms, poll finds” (2026-11-11). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/even-trump-own-maga-voters-
  3. The Daily Beast, “Trump Slapped With Brutal Label After Midterm Catastrophe” (2026-11-11). thedailybeast.com/trump-slapped-with-brutal-label-after-midt
  4. Reuters (via Khaleej Times), “Midterm losses: MAGA supporters question Trump” (2026-11-08). khaleejtimes.com/world/americas/midterm-losses-maga-supporte

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