Opinion Today
October 23, 2025
Congress’ Job Rating Sinks to 15%; Trump’s Steady at 41% Megan Brenan, Gallup As the partial federal government shutdown enters its third week in the U.S., Americans’ approval rating of Congress has declined by 11 percentage points to 15%, similar to approval a year ago. Nearly four in five U.S. adults, 79%, now disapprove. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s job rating is steady, with 41% of Americans approving and 54% disapproving.
Trump Numbers Spike On Handling Of Israel-Hamas Conflict, Hit New Low On Economy Quinnipiac University Poll • 45 percent of registered voters think Republicans in Congress are more responsible for the government shutdown, while 39 percent think Democrats in Congress are more responsible and 11 percent volunteered that they think both parties are equally responsible. • If the Congressional midterm elections were held today, 50 percent of voters say they would want to see the Democratic Party win control of the US House of Representatives, while 41 percent say they would want to see the Republican Party win control. • Forty percent of voters approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president, while 54 percent disapprove. • When it comes to Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, 47 percent approve, while 41 percent disapprove. • As for Trump’s handling of the economy, 38 percent approve, while 57 percent disapprove.
Most Americans support US recognition of Palestinian state, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Jason Lange, Reuters [via Yahoo] Most Americans — including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans — think the U.S. should recognize Palestinian statehood, a sign that President Donald Trump’s opposition to doing so is out of step with public opinion, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Fewer Americans See Diversity as a Business Priority Julie Ray, Gallup Most Americans continue to see diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as part of a company’s responsibility. Still, fewer now view it as a top business priority, even as many continue to link diversity with greater innovation and stronger profits. These findings from the latest Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society survey are based on a web survey of 3,007 U.S. adults conducted from May 5-12, 2025, using the probability-based Gallup Panel.
Voters trust local governments more than feds to address crime, other issues Andrew Rice, The Center Square A majority of Americans say the federal government should not decide policing and crime policy in their communities, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters between Oct. 2-6 through opt-in online panels and text-to-web cell phone messages.
Majority of Americans favor voter ID requirement, split on mail-in voting ban Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square President Donald Trump’s plans to “restore election integrity” and prevent voter fraud include banning mail-in voting and requiring that voters present identification at the polls. The majority of Americans support the voter ID requirement but are divided on a mail-in voting ban, according to a new poll.
Government Shutdown Week 3: A Guide for Advocates Erica Seifert, Rachael Russell, Ian Smith, Maryann Cousens & Camille Keene, Navigator Research This Navigator Research report covers awareness of and blame for the government shutdown: • More Americans blame Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown than blame Democrats, with no shift in the last two weeks. • Americans are split on whether they have a positive or negative impression of what Democrats in Congress are fighting for in the shutdown. • More think Trump and Republicans should compromise with Democrats than the reverse, and more see Trump and Republicans as having power over whether the shutdown continues.
