Opinion Today
August 12, 2026
Donald Trump's job approval falls to 33% David Montgomery, YouGov Only one-third (33%) of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of how Donald Trump is handling his job as president, according to the latest Economist / YouGov Poll. That's the smallest share to ever approve of Trump's job handling in any Economist / YouGov Poll across both of Trump's terms.... Democrats continue to lead in voter intent for the 2026 congressional elections, with 46% of registered voters saying they would vote for the Democratic Party candidate for U.S. Congress and 40% saying they would for the Republican candidate.
Few Americans want to either deport all illegal immigrants or to let them all stay Taylor Orth, YouGov Americans define being truly American more by a person's respect for political institutions and laws than by their birthplace or religion, the August 7 - 10 Economist / YouGov Poll finds.... 40% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of Donald Trump's handling of immigration and 53% disapprove, for a net approval of -13. That is down from +11 at the start of his second term, when 51% approved and 40% disapproved.
65% of Americans support vaccine requirements for K-12 schools Taylor Orth, YouGov Americans’ views on the COVID-19 pandemic are split along party lines, the August 7 - 10 Economist / YouGov Poll finds. However, majorities in both parties believe vaccines are safe and that schools should require them.... The survey also asked what the country should have been more concerned about at the time: protecting Americans from the health effects of COVID or the economic effects of the outbreak.
Opposition to Local Data Centers Rises Sharply, Annenberg Survey Finds Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania A new nationally representative survey finds that Americans’ opposition to data centers in their communities has risen sharply since last spring. The survey, conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, finds that about 3 in 5 U.S. adults (61%) oppose the construction of new data centers in their area, up 12 percentage points from a survey fielded in February and March.... The survey asked about AI’s expected impact across six new areas, which together with seven areas measured in the spring produce a 13-item map of public expectations. Only one area is net positive.
Americans Remain Sharply Divided Over Military Action Against Iran: I&I/TIPP Poll Terry Jones, tippinsights President Donald Trump has played tough with Iran, using the U.S. military to punish that nation’s Islamist regime when it stops talking, and calling off hostile actions when Iran returns to the negotiating table. After five months of this pattern, Americans’ support for U.S. attacks on Iran is lukewarm at best, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.
Most Americans are uncomfortable with transgender athletes on sports teams that don’t match their birth sex Hannah Hartig, Pew Research Center Last year, two Pew Research Center surveys found that: • 73% of Americans were uncomfortable with transgender athletes competing on sports teams that do not match their sex at birth. • 66% of adults favored a law or policy that would require trans athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth.
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New York State: Hochul 49%, Blakeman 39% Siena Research Institute Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul leads Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman 49-39%, according to a new Siena Poll of likely New York State gubernatorial voters released today. Attorney General Letitia James (D) leads her challenger, Saritha Komatireddy (R), 54-36%. By two-to-one, 52-25%, voters say New York’s one-year moratorium on new large data centers is the right decision. Likely voters give the Democratic Socialists of America a negative 30-47% favorability rating. Georgia: Perspectives on Health and the Health Care System Georgia Health Initiative Georgia’s midterm elections this November will shape health policy in our state for years to come. That’s why Georgia Health Initiative® commissioned statewide polling in June 2026 to hear from Georgia voters on how they are experiencing health care in our state and what changes they would like to see made.
Oklahoma: Drummond and Mazzei Tied Pat McFerron, Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates Oklahoma’s Republican runoff election for Governor is currently as tight as it can be. Our recent study (completed August 6, 2026) of 600 Likely Voters has the contest a dead-heat with Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei both drawing support from 44% of likely runoff voters. Voters say the political system needs big changes — and that's driving Democratic gains for 2026 G. Elliott Morris, Strength In Numbers Among moderates and conservatives who say they want "major, disruptive change" in politics, Democrats lead the generic ballot by 50 points Everything is breaking Democrats’ way. Is it enough to win the Senate? Nate Silver, Silver Bulletin Our midterms model finds that polls, fundamentals and history all point toward a strong Democratic year. The House is theirs to lose, but winning four Senate seats is still a tall order. Tuesday’s takeaways: No clear direction for Wisconsin Democrats Nicholas Riccardi and Tom Beaumont, The Associated Press In the key high-profile primary election contest Tuesday that showcased Democrats’ struggle between the ideological left and center, the outcome suggested that neither side could claim a decisive win. In other contests, experience was rewarded in two governors’ races and voters went for generational change in voting out a House incumbent. Left-Wing Surge Stalls in Wisconsin as Francesca Hong Narrowly Loses John McCormick and Caitlin Ostroff, The Wall Street Journal [unlocked] Democratic socialist led in recent polls, but Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley beat back a progressive groundswell Sanders 2016 to El-Sayed 2026: Two Different Paths to Narrow, Progressive Primary Wins in Michigan J. Miles Coleman, Sabato’s Crystal Ball Over the past decade in Democratic politics, it seems that if one tried hard enough, they could reconfigure any key primary into a rerun of the 2016 presidential primary. But few offered as clear of a parallel to the race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders as last week’s Michigan Senate primary. The Anatomy of A Flawed Poll That Showed Abdul El-Sayed Winning by 15%. He Won By 1%. Allan Lengel, Deadline Detroit Less than a week before the hotly contested Aug. 4 U.S. Senate primary in Michigan, Emerson College Polling out of Boston had Abdul El-Sayed handily beating Congresswoman Haley Stevens by 15 percentage points, 54 percent to 39 percent, with 6 percent undecided. He’s Not a Democrat. Democrats Love Him Anyway. Michelle Cottle, The New York Times [unlocked] The Democratic brand is just too toxic in large swaths of the country. Trump Doubles Down Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic [unlocked] The president has spent the past week re-litigating old conflicts. With Trump Secretly Evacuated, Imperiled Air Force One Became a Flying Decoy Peter Baker, The New York Times [unlocked] In response to a threat against the jet last month, the president was clandestinely removed in a catering container. But the plane was sent into the skies anyway with government employees and reporters onboard. AOC for President? Don’t Rule It Out Douglas E. Schoen, The Wall Street Journal [unlocked] As Democrats flirt with socialism, she’s a serious candidate. The California Left and the Wealth Tax Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect The absence of left unity for the ballot measure short-circuits any progressive agenda. Ross Douthat sees 'civic collapse' in Connecticut. Do you? Philip Bump, CT Insider The columnist's final New York Times column targets progressive governance in defense of Trump, but Connecticut’s civic and education data complicates his argument. Rural Texas conservatives love free markets but not when it comes to data centers Molly Hennessy-Fiske, The Washington Post [unlocked] A preference for small government has faded as Republican voters press leaders to block the massive projects. The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized Paul Krugman And there’s nothing radical about wanting to end insurance company parasitism Republicans Built This Form of Capitalism. Why Aren't They Being Forced to Defend It? Paul Waldman, The Cross Section The rise of socialist politics is framed as only a challenge for Democrats, and not those who created the monster people are rebelling against. Why Much of America Soured on Israel William A. Galston, The Wall Street Journal [unlocked] The 1967 Six-Day War cemented American support. The war in Gaza has damaged it. Judge again bars Trump administration from implementing order that sought to limit mail voting The Associated Press A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and directly involve the U.S. Postal Service in election operations in a way that would limit mail voting. ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks Ryan J. Foley, The Associated Press The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky.
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PLAYLIST
Could Trump Actually Subvert the Midterms? Political Breakdown The Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over its use of federal agencies, such as the FBI and DHS, to reshape how our elections are run. That’s raising concerns that it could be harder for some eligible Americans to vote in the midterm elections. Marisa sits down with David Becker, a former federal prosecutor and Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to talk about where things stand ahead of November and what voters can expect.
Tom Guterbock Heritage Interview American Association for Public Opinion Research In this 2026 Heritage Interview, Mandy Sha sits down with Tom Guterbock, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and founding director of the UVA Center for Survey Research. Tom reflects on the creation of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO), the evolution and future of academic survey research centers, his more than 30 years of involvement with AAPOR, and the values that continue to guide the profession. Along the way, he shares personal stories, lessons from a lifetime of leadership, and his perspective on the future of survey research.