Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) saw the largest decline in his approval rating among GOP voters, dipping 29 points, to 41%.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who is up for re-election next year, saw his approval rating fall 16 points among Republican voters, and just 22% are “strongly” in his corner.
Intraparty declines for retiring Pennsylvania, Ohio senators illustrate the challenges of simultaneously satisfying both the base and the broader electorate in the Trump era ahead of contested primaries.
Retaking control of the Senate chamber next year is within the GOP’s reach, but first the party’s senators will need to cure the collective political hangover brought on by the ignominious exit of former President Donald Trump and come to grips with his continued influence with their voting base.