Opinion Today
February 19, 2026
Americans believe Epstein files show the powerful get a pass, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds Jason Lange, Reuters Americans believe that wealthy and powerful people are rarely held accountable, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found after the release of millions of records on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's connections in elite U.S. business and political circles.
Americans say Epstein files lowered their trust in U.S. political and business leaders Alec Tyson, Annaleise Azevedo Lohr and Bernard Mendez, Ipsos A majority of Americans say that the Epstein files lowered their trust in the country’s political and business leaders and that the files show that powerful people are rarely held accountable for their actions, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey also finds that large shares of Americans have doubts that the federal government has been transparent when it comes to the Epstein files.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, just 23% of Americans are confident the vote will not be 'rigged' Andrew Romano, Yahoo News Trump says he wants Republicans to "take over the voting" and "nationalize" November's elections. A new Yahoo/YouGov survey shows that 59% of U.S. adults oppose that idea.
Reuters/Ipsos poll: Most important problem facing the U.S. Ipsos Threats to democratic values (15%) and the economy (14%) are effectively tied as the leading problems facing the country. Corruption (13%) and political violence (12%) trail closely behind. Similar to views on the president’s job performance, priorities diverge significantly by partisanship. Democrats are most likely to cite threats to democratic values and norms (29%), while Republicans prioritize immigration (17%). Independents are divided, pointing to the economy and corruption at equal rates (14%).
How many Americans rank Trump as the 'worst' vs. 'best' president in U.S. history? Andrew Romano, Yahoo News Survey respondents tell Yahoo and YouGov that Trump is doing a worse job than Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Many Democrats are still down on the Democratic Party, a new AP-NORC poll finds Linley Sanders, Associated Press Only about 7 in 10 Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party, according to new polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While the overwhelming majority of Democrats still feel good about their party, they’re much less positive than they’ve been in the past.
Mountain West Voters Show Growing Concerns Over Public Land Protections Heading into 2026 Elections Colorado College Results from Colorado College’s 16th annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll show widespread concern among Western voters about rollbacks of protections for land, water, and wildlife and cuts to funding for public land management. The poll, which surveyed voters in eight Mountain West states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—found that Western voters across party lines are prioritizing conservation, recreation, and renewables over fossil fuel development heading into this year's midterm elections.
