new york president donald trump popular likely voters general public accord reuters/ipsos poll underscore republican lawmakers largely stick polarize president despite plunge approval rat poll release wednesday show poll good among people vote 2016 presidential election overall u.s. adult population group include voters non-voters 60 percent voting-age public take part last year election october example 44 percent 2016 voters say approve trump performance office compare 37 percent general population among republicans 82 percent voters approve trump october compare 75 percent republicans graphic tmsnrt.rs/2zoic1a 85 percent vote trump 2016 say would poll find find suggest republican candidates 2018 congressional elections shun president risk alienate followers republican strategists political scientists say time embrace early primary race choose party candidates risk lose moderate voters general election difficult republican candidate distance trump say michael mcdonald expert voter turnout university florida dilemma play virginia tuesday ed gillespie republican candidate governor race soundly beat democratic opponent gillespie adopt trump hardline position avoid campaign unpopular president gillespie strategy closely watch within party see could provide template republican candidates 2018 control house representatives senate grab gillespie loss spark debate among republicans way forward wednesday trump suggest tweet outcome could different gillespie fully embrace critics point exit poll show third virginian voters turn signal displeasure trump double number cast ballot express support president tuesday result clearly signal opposition trump grow even though remain popular among 2016 republican voters say elaine kamarck expert presidential politics brook institution republicans hurdle get base kamarck say get anyone else vote elections republican voters outnumber reuters/ipsos able compare opinions voters general public create two separate survey poll voters poll public voter poll reuters/ipsos reconnected people take exit poll nov. 2016 day u.s. presidential election voters send additional questionnaires may july october ask approve disapprove president responses compare result separate survey reuters/ipsos national track poll survey adults unite state may july result poll nearly identical 40 percent voters general adult population express approval president two poll diverge october however voters express strong level approval general public jan leighley expert political behavior american university say make sense trump popular among people vote 2016 election likely white less likely identify democrats general public say reuters/ipsos poll conduct online english throughout country 1,206 2016 voters take survey may 10-12 follow 1,296 take july 11-12 survey 1,195 take survey oct. 18-19. individual responses weight would reflect late population estimate well support presidential pick receive election voter poll credibility interval measure accuracy percentage point entire group percentage point republican voters trump 's low approval rat mask support among likely voters reuters/ipsos poll