Vice President JD Vance criticized Fox News polling after a survey showed Democrats holding a 52% to 46% lead over Republicans in generic congressional vote preference, a margin that would threaten the GOP’s control of the House if it held through the 2026 midterms. Speaking on Fox News with anchor Martha MacCallum, Vance said, “That would not be good. I will say Fox News has the worst polling, me and the president agree on that. I’m sorry it’s true.”
MacCallum: This shows congressional vote preference. Democratic candidate preference at 52, GOP candidate at 46. Obviously, that number would not be good for the majority.
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 17, 2026
Vance: Fox News has the worst polling. pic.twitter.com/VPt9sj9IAF
The poll provides an early look at the 2026 midterm landscape. It indicates voters currently prefer Democrats on issues related to affordability, healthcare, and helping the middle class, while Republicans maintain an advantage on border security, national security, and immigration. On three previously Republican-leaning issues—taxes, foreign policy, and the federal budget deficit—voter preferences are essentially split.
The 52% Democratic support in the survey marks the highest recorded for either party in a Fox News midterm generic ballot, surpassing the previous high of 50% for Democrats in October 2017. Political analysts note that responses to generic congressional ballot questions at this stage are largely hypothetical, but they offer an early baseline for voter sentiment heading into the election year.
The survey also shows strong partisan loyalty among traditional voter groups. Democrats draw significant support from Black voters, younger voters under 30, and college graduates. Republicans maintain backing from White evangelical Christians, rural voters, and White voters without a college degree. Cross-party defections are slightly more common among Republicans, with 8% indicating they would vote for a Democratic candidate, compared to 4% of Democrats saying they would vote for a Republican.
Voter motivation for the upcoming midterms appears high, with three-quarters of respondents saying they are extremely or very motivated to vote. Among these engaged voters, Democrats show a slight advantage in enthusiasm, reflecting higher self-reported intent to participate in November elections. Approval of Congress has risen slightly, to 28%, the highest level in nearly three years, though overall disapproval remains at 71%.
The Fox News survey underscores the early challenges facing Republicans as they seek to maintain control of the House, highlighting both issue-level weaknesses and a modest early lead for Democratic candidates in key districts. Vance’s comments on the network reflect concern within the GOP over how such polling may influence campaign strategy in the months ahead.
