Opinion Today
January 31, 2025
Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to say misinformation on social media is a very serious problem
Jamie Ballard, YouGov
A new YouGov survey explored how Americans feel about social media platforms and how those platforms regulate and display content. Among the biggest differences between Democrats and Republicans: 70% of Democrats and 35% of Republicans think the spread of misinformation on social media platforms is a very serious problem. 30% of Democrats and 11% of Republicans say the same about a lack of government regulation on social media platforms.
Why Republicans' proposed health care cuts could be politically risky
Monica Potts, 538
Polling shows Medicaid and other federal health programs are widely popular.
Ipsos Consumer Tracker
Jason Brown, Matt Carmichael and Mallory Newall, Ipsos
Majority of Americans say their community should approve additional affordable housing
Less than half of Americans would recommend military service for teens
Mallory Newall, Mary Noorzai and Chris Moessner, Ipsos
Military Veterans are well-respected and seen as strong assets to the civilian workforce, yet negative stereotypes around their mental health persists, according to a new poll from the Call of Duty Endowment, Mission Roll Call and Ipsos, with funding by Activision.
Gen Z seeks safety above all else as the generation grows up amid constant crisis and existential threat
Yalda T. Uhls (UCLA), The Conversation
After many years of partisan politics, increasingly divisive language, finger-pointing and inflammatory speech have contributed to an environment of fear and uncertainty, affecting not just political dynamics but also the priorities and perceptions of young people.
Gallup Vault: Americans Not Sold on Buying Greenland in 1947
Lydia Saad and Rachael Yi, Gallup
In 1947, Gallup asked Americans what may have seemed like a surprising proposal: Should the U.S. spend $1 billion to buy Greenland from Denmark? With 33% supporting the purchase, 38% opposing it and 28% unsure, the answer wasn’t crystal clear.
Voters Strongly Support Trump, GOP
John McLaughlin and Jim McLaughlin, McLaughlin & Associates
Charging out of the starting-gate, President Donald J. Trump and his Republican supporters are making a start to solve the critical formerly intractable problems that the Biden Harris Democrats left for Americans. In doing so, President Trump is charting a stronger and more popular level of public opinion support than he ever had in his first term.
Drill, Baby, Drill? The Well of Public Opinion Is Drying Up on Trump’s Climate Policy
Eva Brungard, Data for Progress
In response to Trump’s reversal of federal climate policy, Data for Progress surveyed likely voters about their opinion of Trump’s executive orders and support for fossil fuels versus renewable energy. The findings reveal little support for the shift in energy policy, with the majority of voters hoping to preserve existing climate policies and to continue to develop renewables.
Maryland: Gov. Moore’s taxes on the wealthy and cannabis are popular
Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, Dana Munro and Erin Cox, Washington Post [unlocked]
Residents support Gov. Wes Moore’s budget-balancing tax increases on high-income earners, sports betting and cannabis sales. But a proposed 75-cent fee for retail delivery meets widespread opposition.
Texas Legislative Issues 2025
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs
Border Security: 40% of Texans want the Texas state government to spend more during the next two years on border security than the state has spent on average during the previous four years, while 25% want it to spend less and 35% want it to spend the same amount. Opportunities: 64% of Texans believe there should be a way for undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. legally if certain requirements are met, while 36% of Texans believe that undocumented immigrants should not be legally allowed to stay. Deportations: 87% of Texans support increasing targeted deportations of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions.
Trump’s Actions Receive Mixed Reviews, but So Far More Approve Than Disapprove
Ruth Igielnik, New York Times [unlocked]
President Trump’s decision to pardon Jan. 6 rioters is deeply unpopular, though he has a slightly positive approval rating so far.
The Polls are Back
The Great Transformation with Mike Madrid
The first round of polling in the Trump administration are in, and the findings are not good.
Trump’s disaster playbook: Blame Democrats and politicize tragedy
Adam Wren, Myah Ward and Sophia Cai, Politico
Donald Trump has a long record of politicizing disasters for his own benefit. And his press conference Thursday discussing in stark, politicized terms the worst air disaster in nearly two decades was no different.
Trump is in it only for himself
Dana Milbank, Washington Post [unlocked]
The president’s ugly hijacking of a plane crash adds to a pattern emerging from his administration.
The Day Trump Became Un-President
Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic [unlocked]
The sight was reminiscent of the COVID briefings of 2020: President Donald Trump gripping the sides of the lectern in the White House briefing room, pursing his lips as he looked out at the journalists yelling and jockeying for his attention. And just like in 2020, Trump used a national calamity to try to score political points and denigrate his foes.
Trump’s air-crash response shows how deep he sits in the right-wing bubble
Philip Bump, Washington Post [unlocked]
At a news conference about the D.C. plane crash, a familiar President Donald Trump was on display.
Is There Anything Trump Won’t Blame on DEI?
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic [unlocked]
The president is promising a return to meritocracy—while staffing his government with underqualified loyalists.
The Price of Trump’s Power Politics
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, Foreign Affairs [unlocked]
Why China and Russia Stand to Win in a Might-Makes-Right World
The Pretty Prudent American Public
Daniel W. Drezner, Drezner’s World
Turns out that most Americans do not like being expansionist assholes on the global stage.
How to explain the weird ideas of RFK Jr.
John Sides (Vanderbilt), Good Authority
“Intuitionism” is the key.
Trump Kicks Congress to the Curb, With Little Protest From Republicans
Carl Hulse, New York Times [unlocked]
The administration is showing it doesn’t view the House and Senate as equal partners. So far, Republicans, who hold both majorities, are accepting their new status.
5 takeaways from the Gabbard, Patel and RFK Jr. hearings
Aaron Blake, Washington Post [unlocked]
All three strained to distance themselves from their past, but Gabbard in particular appears to be in danger.
Bright vs. blurry lines: how to think about executive power grabs
Julia Azari, Good Politics/Bad Politics
In response to the confusion and acute anxiety provoked by Tuesday’s sweeping OMB order, I developed a framework for how to think about the expansive use of presidential power in the Trump administration, and how it relates to past practices and ideas. I divided executive action into four categories: pretty normal/standard; expansive but has evolved into a normal practice; not really normal at all; and illegal/unconstitutional.
Trump Is Already Failing. That’s the Key to a Big Democratic Rebound.
Doug Sosnik, New York Times [unlocked]
With Republicans now in full control of the federal government, Democrats are well positioned to be the party of change, a narrative that finally broke the Reagan-Bush 12-year hold on the presidency in 1992.
The Democrats’ Governance Problem
Ruy Teixeira, The Liberal Patriot
You’ve got to run the government well and get things done voters care about if you want those voters to stick with you. And that’s where Democrats have been running into problems—big problems.
Census Bureau Director Robert Santos is resigning, making way for Trump's pick
Hansi Lo Wang. NPR News
Census Bureau Director Robert Santos is resigning, giving President Trump an early opportunity to nominate an appointee to lead the bureau during key preparations for the 2030 census.
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PLAYLIST
Trump’s Federal Funding Fiasco
538 Politics
This week, the Trump administration oversaw a federal funding fiasco. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo attacking DEI programs and putting trillions in government funding at risk. States sued, and the administration backtracked —rescinding the memo but keeping the underlying order intact. As this unfolds, we ask: How much power does Trump’s administration actually have to withhold funding? Matt Glassman, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, joins the podcast to discuss impoundment, executive power and the legal battles ahead.
Campaign Cash Clash
Poll Hub
In the 2024 federal elections, candidates spent a staggering $3 billion, but does all that money truly influence voter decisions? We talk with UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen about the role of campaign cash in politics and examine whether public financing initiatives are making a positive difference. Then, are we becoming too connected... or not connected enough? We explore the shifting attitudes surrounding global ties, national priorities, and how personal experiences, like travel, shape our views on interconnectedness and America's role on the world stage.
Onward and Upward, with Marty Baron
The Chuck ToddCast
Chuck shares thoughts about his future in media, and talks with former Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron about news in the Trump era.
Brian Schatz: Signal v. Noise in Trump 2.0
Impolitic with John Heilemann
John is joined by Brian Schatz, the senior U.S. senator from Hawaii, to discuss the second week of Trump 2.0 and where Democrats go from here. Schatz pulls no punches in describing Trump’s attempt to politicize the tragic midair collision over the Potomac by blaming DEI initiatives as “disgusting” and in arguing that “millions could die” if RFK Jr. is confirmed as HHS secretary; but he also warns fellow Democrats against reflexively taking Trump’s bait and letting themselves lose sight of what matters to the real lives of real people. Schatz also opines on the Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel nominations, Trump’s aborted attempt to freeze federal spending, and what it's like to have attended the same high school as Barack Obama and Michelle Wie.
Trump Derangement Syndrome
Strong Message Here
This week, Trump has truly settled back into the White House, but is it different this time around? Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci take a look at how this unique politician uses language to get his way. We also look at Trump Derangement Syndrome - a favourite phrase of the new President to describe his detractors - and how other politicians have changed their tune about Trump since his last term.