Opinion Today
December 12, 2025
Trump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling Linley Sanders and Will Weissert, Associated Press President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy and immigration have fallen substantially since March, according to a new AP-NORC poll, the latest indication that two signature issues that got him elected barely a year ago could be turning into liabilities as his party begins to gear up for the 2026 midterms.
Trump’s approval rating slips on the economy and immigration AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration are down about 10 points since March. Border security remains Trump’s best issue with 50% approval.
Heading into midterms, Republicans hold edge with older voters, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds Jason Lange and James Oliphant, Reuters Recent electoral victories have given Democrats increasing hope of taking back one and perhaps both houses of the U.S. Congress in next year’s midterm elections, but a new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that some of that enthusiasm may be premature. Republicans hold a greater advantage with older voters, who are more likely to turn out during non-presidential years. And those voters may be less swayed by the kind of cost-of-living issues that have animated recent Democratic campaigns, the poll found.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Costs in the Current Moment of Economic Anxiety Liz Hamel and Julian Montalvo III, KFF Multiple recent polls have found that economic anxiety in the U.S. is on the rise, and decades of KFF polling show how the rising cost of health care is a key component of people’s economic concerns. New data from the KFF Health Tracking Poll provide additional insights into who is struggling most in the current economy and how the cost of health care factors into those struggles.
In Time for the Holidays, Americans Say Costs Are Going up – on Everything Rachael Russell, Ian Smith & Maryann Cousens, Navigator Research • Overwhelming majorities continue to say the costs of groceries, housing, utilities, and health care are on the rise. The share of Americans believing health care costs are rising has increased by 10-points in less than a year. • A majority of Americans have carried a credit card balance in the past year, and a quarter have used a “buy now, pay later” tool. • Trump and Republicans in Congress are blamed the most for costs rising by a 21-point margin, though independents say both parties are equally to blame.
Voters Largely Do Not Support Restricting Speech, Are Concerned About Trump’s NSPM-7 Memo Jenna Scarbrough and Lew Blank, Data for Progress In a survey fielded from November 14-17, 2025, Data for Progress finds that a majority of voters believe Trump will try to restrict various forms of free speech, although they do not personally support such restrictions.
Survey of Local Elected Officials on Threats and Harassment Bridging Divides Initiative In the wake of a series of high-profile attacks on public figures this year, elected officials are reporting heightened safety and security concerns at the local level. New BDI-CivicPulse survey results for the third quarter of 2025, from July to September, show that almost 75% of all local officeholders said they were less willing to engage in key political or civic activities, such as working on controversial issues or running for higher office, due to harassment and threats of violence.
