By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Don't Edit

Less than three months before a midterm election seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's first two years in the White House, the president's approval ratings remain mired in the low 40s.

The last two presidents ranked that low saw their party lose control of at least one house of Congress.

Trump's approval rating stood a 41 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll and 42 percent in a CNN survey, both released Tuesday. Majorities disapproved of the president's job performance: 54 percent in Quinnipiac, including 48 percent who felt strongly, and 53 percent in CNN.

"For President Trump, another Groundhog Day," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll. "His job approval gets another cool reception in midst of the sweltering summer. What does it mean? Simple: The base is hanging in and the rest aren't buying in."

Don't Edit

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Ohio on Aug. 4. (Brian Cahn | Zuma Press/TNS)

Here's the rest of the mostly bad news in the two surveys:

Don't Edit

President Donald Trump speaks at a fundraiser for Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., in Utica on Aug. 13. (AP Photo |Carolyn Kaster)

Ominous sign for the midterms

Since 1980, only three other U.S. chief executives have had job approval ratings below 50 percent at this point in the second year of their presidencies, according to CNN: Barack Obama in 2010 with 47 percent, Ronald Reagan in 1982 with 41 percent and Bill Clinton in 1994 with 39 percent.

Republicans won control of the U.S. House in 2010 under Obama and captured both chambers of Congress in 1994 under Clinton. While Democratic control of the House didn't change under Reagan in 1982, the party still picked up 26 seats, more than the amount they need for a majority this fall.

Don't Edit

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with state leaders about prison reform on Aug. 9 at his Bedminster golf club. (AP Photo | Carolyn Kaster)

Voters don't like Trump or his policies

A majority of voters in the Quinnipiac poll, 54 percent, said they did not like Trump's policies, while 43 percent approved of them. By 58 percent to 38 percent, they said the president, who championed a repeal of the Affordable Care Act and a tax bill that gave most of its benefits to corporations and the wealthy, was not doing enough to help the middle class.

An even larger percentage, 59 percent, said they didn't like Trump as a person, compared to just 31 percent who said they did.

"Not the kind of numbers that gets you a date to the prom - or helps your party as the midterm elections approach," Malloy said.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Special counsel Robert Mueller departs the Capitol Hill following a closed door meeting in June 2017. (AP Photo | Andrew Harnik)

What about Russia?

A majority of Americans polled by CNN, 58 percent, described special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia as a serious measure that needed to be investigated. Less than 4 in 10, 37 percent, called it an effort to discredit Trump's presidency.

By 47 percent to 39 percent, they approved of the way Mueller was handling the investigation. He has indicted or received guilty pleas from 32 individuals and three companies, according to Vox. In the Quinnipiac survey, Mueller's investigation was rated as fair by 51 percent to 33 percent.

More than half of Americans in the CNN poll, 55 percent, disapproved of the way Trump was handling the Russian investigation, while barely more than one-third, 34 percent, approved of his actions.

Don't Edit

Trump, meanwhile, continued to attack the probe.

Don't Edit

Fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok is a fraud, as is the rigged investigation he started. There was no Collusion or Obstruction with Russia, and everybody, including the Democrats, know it. The only Collusion and Obstruction was by Crooked Hillary, the Democrats and the DNC! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018

Strzok started the illegal Rigged Witch Hunt - why isn’t this so-called “probe” ended immediately? Why aren’t these angry and conflicted Democrats instead looking at Crooked Hillary? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018

Don't Edit

Groups protest in Washington, D.C., on the one-year anniversary of the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. (AP Photo | Alex Brandon)

Remember Trump's response to Charlottesville?

Responding a year ago to the march by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, Trump was roundly criticized by lawmakers of both parties for saying there were "some very fine people on both sides."

In the Quinnipiac poll taken this month, 54 percent of U.S. voters said Trump "emboldened people who hold racist beliefs to express those beliefs publicly." Just 37 percent disagreed.

By 54 percent to 39 percent, they said the president did not give the same respect to blacks that he gave to whites.

Don't Edit

President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner meeting with business leaders on Aug. 7 at his Bedminster golf club. (AP Photo | Carolyn Kaster)

There is one positive among the numbers

Two-thirds of voters, 67 percent described the economy as good or excellent, compared to just 32 percent who said it was bad or poor. Twice as many said the economy was improving as said it was getting worse, 45 percent to 21 percent, with 31 percent said there was no change.

Asked who deserved more credit, a majority, 52 percent, said Trump did, while 37 percent said Obama. In January, 49 percent gave Obama more kudos for the improving economy, compared with 40 percent who credited the current president.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

How the polls were conducted

The Quinnipiac poll of 1,175 voters was conducted Aug. 9- 13 and had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. The CNN survey of 1,002 U.S. adults was conducted Aug. 9-12 and had a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.

Don't Edit

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook