Opinion Today
February 24, 2026
Trump’s approval rating with independents hits a new low ahead of the State of the Union Ariel Edwards-Levy and Jennifer Agiesta, CNN When President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address Tuesday, he will face a public that increasingly questions his priorities and expresses broad doubts about whether his proposed policies are helping the nation, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
Most say the state of the union is not strong and the U.S. is worse off Domenico Montanaro, NPR News As President Trump is set to deliver his first official State of the Union address of his second term, most Americans say the country is worse off than a year ago and that the state of the union is not strong, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. Additionally, more people than ever are describing the direction Trump is moving the country as "change for the worse."
The State of the Union is Not Strong, Says a Majority Marist Institute for Public Opinion When thinking about the state of the union, a majority of Americans, say the United States is not very strong or not strong at all. In fact, six in ten Americans think the country is worse off than it was a year ago, and even more Americans say the system of checks and balances is not working well. Taken together, the results of these questions underscore the view of more than seven in ten Americans that U.S. democracy is in jeopardy.
The Nation’s Priorities Before The State Of The Union tippinsights As President Trump prepares to address Congress, Americans signal that costs, the economy, and immigration remain their foremost concerns.
February 2026 Verified Voter Omnibus Echelon Insights • Donald Trump’s job approval stands at 44% approve, 55% disapprove • Democrats lead on the 2026 generic congressional ballot, 50-46 • Democratic-leaning voters favor Gavin Newsom over Kamala Harris in a hypothetical 2028 primary matchup, 45-44 • Voters say requiring ID to vote will make the 2026 midterm more fair, by 76-17, and say the same of requiring proof of citizenship, 67-24
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State of the Battleground Maryann Cousens, Navigator Research This Navigator Research report covers perceptions of government leaders, including which party is more trusted to handle the issues that matter most to Americans in the battleground, and who is seen as having the right priorities.
State of the Union 2026: Where Americans stand on key issues facing the nation Anna Jackson, Pew Research Center President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address on Feb. 24. It will be his second speech to a joint session of Congress since returning to office. Ahead of the address, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys.
Voters Think Trump Has Been Mostly Dishonest About Epstein — and Find Attacks Against the “Epstein Class” Convincing Data for Progress A new Data for Progress poll finds that voters are hearing more about the Epstein files today than in 2025. In a survey from July 11-12 last year, only 25% of voters said they had heard “a lot” about the Epstein files, but today, that number has risen to 45%. When asked whether Trump has been mostly honest or dishonest about the files, a majority of voters say he has mostly been dishonest by a +19-point margin. This includes Independents by a +33-point margin.
National Survey Findings on Trump’s Immigration Policies and Their Effect on His 2024 Coalition G. Elliott Morris, Morris Predictive Insights Seven in ten Americans say the Trump administration is focusing too much on deportations and not enough on the economy. A new national survey of 1,500 adults finds that immigration enforcement is eroding the Republican Party’s image, driving voters away from the GOP coalition, and opening a lane for Democrats to improve their own standing.
Michigan: Voters Unaware as Economic and Education Rankings Continue to Plummet Detroit Regional Chamber The Detroit Regional Chamber has released findings from its latest statewide poll of 600 registered Michigan voters in partnership with the Glengariff Group, Inc. While the poll covered the economy, data centers, the ability of Washington and Lansing to compromise, and the race to be Michigan’s next governor, voters’ misperceptions of how Michigan compares to other states indicate a major red flag for business, education, and government leaders. Virginians support tougher gun laws but doubt the impact Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, Roanoke College Most Virginians favor stricter gun laws, but many question their effectiveness, according to a new Roanoke College Poll. Residents also support the commonwealth’s existing method of redistricting and drawing legislative lines. Trump heads into the State of the Union facing diminished voter trust on the economy Sahil Kapur, NBC News Americans' trust in the president's handling of the economy has tumbled, depriving him of a valuable political asset he has held for a decade. Americans sour on Trump ahead of State of the Union, polls find Cheyanne M. Daniels, Politico New polls show the president’s approval rating falling among Democrats and independents, though it remains strong among Republicans. Trump Claims a Historic Turnaround for the U.S. Here Are the Facts. Ashley Cai and Linda Qiu, New York Times [unlocked] Trends on jobs, inflation and crime that began before Donald Trump retook office continued, largely unabated, in his first year back. Trump says he's kept all of his campaign promises. Our MAGA-Meter shows something different. Louis Jacobson and Amy Sherman, PolitiFact PolitiFact is tracking 75 of Trump’s second-term campaign promises on our MAGA-Meter.
Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic [unlocked] The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago. The SAVE Act is Christian Nationalism in Action Pamela Herd, Can We Still Govern? Gendered Burdens and the Right to Vote The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem Tom Nichols, The Atlantic [unlocked] How did the GOP become a haven for slogans and ideas straight out of the Third Reich? The Constitution made the American presidency. Trump has rejected that tradition Julia Azari, Good Politics/Bad Politics The thing about a Constitutional order is that you're either in or out The Donald Trump 1 Percent Fan Club Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times [unlocked] Despite Trump’s having lost ground in almost every demographic during his second term, one group stands firmly in the president’s camp: the superrich who have their wallets open. In his bid to stave off a Democratic takeover of the House and perhaps the Senate, the money from these billionaires and megamillionaires is Trump’s ace in the hole, as voters across most of the political spectrum express increasing dissatisfaction with his administration. How to stop a dictator Zack Beauchamp, Vox I spent months studying how authoritarians like Trump lose. The answer is shockingly simple. Nicki Minaj’s social media propped up by thousands of bots, analysis finds Jason Beeferman, Politico An analysis shared with POLITICO reveals the rap sensation’s advocacy for conservative causes has been amplified by an army of bots and coordinated activity. Mamdani Will Need to Change How He Governs Nicholas Bagley and Robert Gordon, New York Times [unlocked] Today, public-sector unions are helping defend democracy. They will always deserve a voice. But Democratic leaders cannot wait for unions to change. They need to break more often with their friends if they want to show that government can succeed. A Congressional Candidate Feared by the Tech Oligarchs Michelle Goldberg, New York Times [unlocked] There’s a huge political opportunity for the party that can stand up for human beings in the face of A.I. California Democrats back establishment candidates despite progressive pushback Maya C. Miller, CalMatters The California Democratic Party is betting that a tried-and-true playbook and standard-bearer candidates offer their best chance to take back the U.S. House in November’s midterms rather than fresh faces and more populist policy planks. How Prediction Markets Polymarket and Kalshi Are Gamifying Truth Christopher Beam, Bloomberg Businessweek [unlocked] Two companies are pioneering a new way of predicting the future. Critics call it unregulated gambling. The Looming Taiwan Chip Disaster That Silicon Valley Has Long Ignored Tripp Mickle, New York Times [unlocked] If China invades Taiwan and cuts off its chip exports to American companies, the tech industry and the U.S. economy would be crippled.
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PLAYLIST
Redistricting Rodeo National Journal Radio In our new monthly webinar series, "Hotline Live," Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado talks to senior political correspondent James A. Downs and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter House editor Erin Covey on how the unprecedented wave of mid-cycle redistricting has broader implications for the electoral landscape.
Most Americans say country worse off than a year ago, new poll shows PBS News Hour As President Trump prepares to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term, six in ten Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago. That’s according to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Ahead of that speech, White House correspondent Liz Landers checks in with voters about how they see the direction of the country.
Enten on Trump’s pre-State of the Union polling lows CNN As President Donald Trump prepares to speak the nation in his State of the Union address, just 32% of Americans now say that he has had the right priorities, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
Tamara Keith and Jasmine Wright on Trump losing support from independents PBS News Hour NPR’s Tamara Keith and Jasmine Wright of NOTUS join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including what Americans are saying about the direction of the country ahead of President Trump's State of the Union address.