As the critical midterms approach, we're taking a look at how Trump's numbers may be influencing voters.

At stake, 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 39 governorships, and the nation's political direction for the next two years.

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt.

I'm Dana Taylor.

Today is Tuesday, February 17, 26.

Here to help me talk about what the numbers can tell us about those midterms is USA Today, Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. Susan, thank you so much for joining me.

Hey, it's great to be back with you. Susan, President Donald Trump isn't going to be on the ballot this fall and per law, never will be again.

Why does voters' perception of his track record so far matter so much in the midterms?

Well, then, of course, you're right. The president's not on the

ballot in the midterm. That's why we call them midterms midway through their term. But the midterms

are all about the presidents. And that's true, not just for Donald Trump, but for previous presidents.

It's the first chance that voters have to weigh in on how they think the president is doing.

And in a few cases, the president's party has actually gained ground in the midterms, but that's not usually the case.

Usually this is a chance for voters to say to presidents, you're not focused on the issues that I care about,

or you're not delivering what you promised in the last campaign. So for most presidents, midterms have been a pain point, not an opportunity

to expand how they're doing. Let's shift to Trump's approval rating. What is it now, how has it

been trending, and what does it tell us about how the upcoming midterm elections might go?

We took a look at three of the more respected pollsters who have recently been in the field,

and they put his approval rating at 36 or 37 percent. That is dismal. That is the worst. If that

persist until the midterms, that would be the worst standing for a president

since Harry Truman. So that is a red alarm blaring for Republicans, because when a president's

approval rating is that low, when it sinks to 40 percent or below, that is really a time we see

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