Opinion Today
December 18, 2025
Fox News Poll: As prices pinch, voters see Trump focused elsewhere Dana Blanton, Fox News Even as more voters are happy with how things are going in the country, they’re worried. An overwhelming majority expresses concern about high prices. Four times as many say they’re losing financial ground as feel they’re getting ahead, and most think the economy is in bad shape.
CBS News poll finds Americans say holidays are costing them more, some are scaling back Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Kabir Khanna, CBS News Many Americans are feeling the pinch this holiday season. Most feel it’s at least somewhat difficult to afford the things they’re buying for the holidays. Some are pulling back on gifts, entertainment and travel, particularly those among the majority who say items cost more now than they did last year.
The affordability crisis is disrupting politics in one country after another Erin Doherty, Politico New international POLITICO polling shows the voter frustration with persistent financial strain remains a deeply potent force today. In five major economies, The POLITICO Poll found ongoing cost-of-living pressures continue to reverberate through politics.
Trump’s economic approval hits a new low at 36%, poll finds Domenico Montanaro, NPR News A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds 70% of Americans say things have become too unaffordable and have a dim outlook on the economy and President Trump’s handling of it.
Americans are more dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy than ever, poll shows Matt Loffman, PBS News Hour Americans give President Donald Trump his worst approval ratings ever for his handling of the economy, as they also express concerns about the cost of living, healthcare prices, and personal finances, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds.
More Than Six in Ten Say Economy is Not Working for Them Personally Marist Institute for Public Opinion Americans have serious concerns about the economy and how these larger economic forces will influence their personal finances in 2026. Cloaked in a shroud of pessimism about what’s to come in the new year and persistent dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, more Americans now say the economy is not working well for them personally.
Voters Give Democrats In Congress A Record Low Job Approval But Still Might Vote For Them In 2026 Quinnipiac University Poll Heading into a year with midterm elections, 18 percent of voters approve of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job, while 73 percent disapprove. If the election were held today, 47 percent of voters say they would want to see the Democratic Party win control of the United States House of Representatives, while 43 percent would want to see the Republican Party win control of the House. Forty percent of voters approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president. Voters 63 - 25 percent oppose U.S. military action inside Venezuela.
Americans want Congress to focus on cost of healthcare and housing Ipsos The cost of living remains the top issue for Americans when it comes to the 2026 congressional elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The areas of everyday expenses Americans most want members of Congress to focus on include healthcare, housing, and food costs. The poll also finds that while a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, they are split between preferring the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to best handle the issue. High cost of goods is causing consumers to spend less for the holidays, CNBC survey finds Steve Liesman, CNBC Inflation looks to be sapping some of Americans’ holiday cheer as they head out to buy gifts this Christmas season, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The survey found the high cost of goods has emerged as a major factor affecting how much shoppers spend and where they spend, suggesting inflation of the past several years and the rise in import goods prices from tariffs are being felt at the checkout counter. U.S. Mental Health Ratings Continue to Worsen Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup Americans’ assessments of their own mental health continue to erode. For the first time, the percentage of U.S. adults who describe their mental health as “excellent” has dropped below 30%. Just six years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 43% rated their mental health this positively.
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication • 59% of registered voters would prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming. • 49% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress. • 61% of registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress. • 66% support transitioning the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050. • 77% oppose ordering all federal agencies to stop doing research on global warming.
2025 Wrapped: Trump’s Year in Review Ian Smith, Maryann Cousens & Rachael Russell, Navigator Research • Americans remain highly negative on the President’s economic management, with 61% disapproving of his handling of inflation and the cost of living. • There is a massive, 42-point, disconnect between Americans’ priorities and perceived government focus. • 14% of Trump voters now say they regret their vote, largely because of his handling of the economy.
What Do Americans Know About Trump 2.0? A Lot. Dante Chinni, American Communities Project President Donald Trump is a deeply divisive political figure in the United States — loved by some, loathed by others — but American Communities Project’s 2025 survey made one point clear: He has the nation’s attention. The ACP/Ipsos survey of more than 5,000 people asked five factual true/false questions mostly around the Trump administration’s policies and impacts, on everything from tariffs to immigration to the president’s “big beautiful bill.” Do Voters Trust Supreme Court To Do What’s Best For U.S.? Yes, But Just Barely: I&I/TIPP Poll Terry Jones, tippinsights When U.S. Supreme Court Justices are sworn in to office, they vow to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” With this in mind, the I&I/TIPP Poll this month asked voters simply: “How much confidence do you have in the U.S. Supreme Court to make decisions that are in the best interests of the country?“
