Opinion Weekend
July 18-19, 2026
Energized voters could be key to Democratic victories in midterms, poll finds Gregory S. Schneider and Scott Clement, The Washington Post [unlocked] A Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds voters favoring Democrats by three points among registered voters overall, but the margin grows among those who are most motivated to vote.
Nearly half of Americans in poll say Supreme Court bases rulings on politics Julian Mark and Scott Clement, The Washington Post [unlocked] A majority of Americans disapprove of the job the court is doing, a Washington Post-Ipsos survey finds. Still, it fares better than the president or Congress. Economic outlook is worsening and Trump is getting blamed, CNBC survey finds Steve Liesman, CNBC Despite a booming stock market and improving inflation numbers, the public is as depressed about the economy as it has been since the years just after the pandemic and increasingly concerned about the cost of everyday goods, according to the latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The result: continued deeply negative approval numbers for President Donald Trump yet only a modest advantage for Democrats when it comes to the public’s preference for control of Congress.
It’s still the economy Clifford Young and Bernard Mendez, Ipsos Five charts on where Americans stand on election security, the top issues facing the nation, and America’s sour mood on the economy
Consumer Sentiment: All five index components improve Joanne Hsu, The University of Michigan With the second straight month of 10% jumps, consumer sentiment climbed to its highest reading since February of this year on the basis of easing price pressures at the pump in recent weeks.
Small Business Index: Inflation Concerns Up Sharply Since Late 2025 U.S. Chamber of Commerce This quarter, inflation remains the top challenge cited by a majority of small businesses. Fully 57% of small businesses say inflation is their biggest concern, up slightly from last quarter (53%) and significantly from Q4 2025 (45%).
Majorities of Americans say key financial milestones are harder for today’s young adults to reach Dana Braga, Pew Research Center Amid reports of a tough job market and rising costs of living, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that majorities of Americans say young adults have it harder today financially than their parents’ generation did.
Democratic socialists top MAGA candidates among voters in CNBC’s All-America poll Garrett Downs, CNBC More voters would be more likely to support a democratic socialist candidate than a Make America Great Again supporter or a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, the CNBC All-America Economic Survey released Friday found.
Ipsos Consumer Tracker Ipsos The latest wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker finds that 57% of Americans agree that the government should restrict ultra-processed foods, even if consumers want to buy them. Notably, those ages 18-34 (72%) and 35-54 (58%) are significantly more likely than their age 55+ counterparts (42%) to hold this sentiment. The poll also finds that Americans hold nuanced views between personal freedom and public health.
World Cup audience stayed bipartisan despite Trump’s prominent role, CNBC survey finds Luke Fountain, CNBC President Donald Trump made the World Cup one of the most visible political stages of his second term. But the tournament’s U.S. audience remained strikingly bipartisan, according to the latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey.
Takeaways from the AP-NORC poll of more than 1,000 Jewish Americans Linley Sanders, The Associated Press The Associated Press surveyed more than 1,000 Jewish adults in the U.S. to better understand their views on Israel’s military actions in Gaza, their opinions of the political parties and their experiences with prejudice in the United States.... Here are five takeaways from the AP-NORC survey.
A Majority of Voters Support Worker Protections Against Extreme Heat Ayseli Karabekmez, Data for Progress New Data for Progress polling finds that a majority of voters (61%) believe that extreme weather events — like hurricanes, flash floods, droughts, and heat waves — have become more frequent over the past five years.
