Trump's GOP Lawmakers Slam Own Party and Rage 'We Haven't Done Anything' — as Prez's Approval Ratings Crash
Sen. John Kennedy said Republicans have done nothing on living costs since last year as Trump’s approval ratings hit new lows.
Sept. 26 2026, Published 7:54 p.m. ET
Senate Republicans are turning their frustration inward as President Donald Trump's approval ratings fall to new lows and the midterms close in, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said this week the party has done nothing for voters on the cost of living since last year's signature tax-and-spending law, even as the chamber spent floor time on college sports.
Kennedy Says the Senate Stalled
Sen. John Kennedy told reporters parents are not losing sleep over college football.
Kennedy told reporters parents are not lying awake over whether football coaches are satisfied.
"If you think moms and dads, when they lie down to sleep at night, are worried about whether the football coaches are happy, you need to back off the crank," he said.
He said the Senate should be working on prices, and when asked whether it has, he was blunt.
"We haven't," he said. "We haven't done anything since the One Big Beautiful Bill."
That Big Beautiful Bill is the 2025 reconciliation package that extended tax cuts and became the party's main legislative victory during Trump's second term.
College Sports Legislation Won't Move the Needle
The Senate advanced the Protect College Sports Act while battleground Republicans hear voters talk about other issues.
Kennedy is referring to the Protect College Sports Act, which is a bipartisan bill to set national rules for athlete pay, transfers, and eligibility.
The Senate this week invoked cloture on a substitute amendment, 70-21.
Some supporters of that bill are unhappy with the timing. Vulnerable Republicans in battleground races are trying to focus on other concerns from voters such as high prices, the cost of diesel for Midwest farmers, and the calls for Trump to wind down the war in Iran.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has said the chamber could take up a separate bill next week aimed at consumer costs tied to data centers.
Sen. John Curtis Pushes For More
Sen. John Curtis of Utah wrote that the chamber is focused on issues voters do not care about.
Sen. John Curtis of Utah, who does not face voters until 2030, made a similar case on social media, writing that the Senate is spending time on issues voters "don't even care about."
"We're just not doing what we should be doing to deal with issues you care about," Curtis posted.
Trump's Approval Ratings Are Dropping
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A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's approval at 32%.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week put Trump's job approval at 32%, the lowest of his career in that series, with Republican approval dropping from 82% to 73% in a week.
Only 17% of adults approved of his handling of the cost of living.
Among Republicans in that poll, 51% now disapprove of how he is handling living costs and 44% approve.
A CNN poll found 33% approve of Trump’s job performance and 27% approve of his work on the economy.
