Opinion Today
May 22, 2026
Economic Confidence Sinks Further, Worst Since 2022 Megan Brenan, Gallup Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index has fallen to its lowest point in nearly four years, when Americans were also spending well above $4 for a gallon of gasoline and paying higher prices for a range of goods. With just 16% of Americans rating the economy as excellent or good and 76% saying conditions are getting worse, the public mood heading into summer 2026 is markedly darker than it was at the start of the year.
Americans oppose spending $1 billion on White House ballroom 68% to 21% G. Elliott Morris, Strength In Numbers Americans overwhelmingly reject the idea of spending taxpayer money on President Trump’s new White House ballroom. Overall, 68% of adults said they opposed spending taxpayer money on security upgrades for the ballroom. A striking 57% oppose it strongly.
Fox News Poll: Voters see welfare fraud as common, still mostly favor protecting benefits over crackdowns Victoria Balara, Fox News Just 3 in 10 voters approve of the job Congressional Democrats and Republicans are doing
Poll Suggests a Possible Path Forward for Democrats Nate Cohn, The New York Times [unlocked] The divisions are clear, but there’s more common ground than one might expect within the coalition, a Times/Siena poll shows. A Generational Pullback From World Affairs Searchlight Institute Americans are divided across party lines on almost every aspect of national security and foreign policy. However, there is one point of agreement: Across the political spectrum, voters are signaling a clear desire for the United States to scale back its global footprint and turn inward. That sentiment is especially strong among voters under 35, which suggests that a new bipartisan consensus around anti-interventionism could develop — should generational trends hold.
Democrats Lead the Generic Ballot by 8 Points as Midterms Approach Data for Progress While the U.S. House map looks increasingly friendly to Republicans’ chances of retaining control of Congress, a new Data for Progress survey finds Democrats leading Republicans on a generic congressional ballot by 8 points. Independents prefer a Democrat over a Republican for Congress by a +6-point margin, while around 1 in 4 (24%) remain undecided.
Following Callais: Views on Supreme Court Remain Mixed But Reforms Are Popular Tina Tang, Navigator Research This Navigator Research report covers views of the Supreme Court and what type of reforms Americans support.
