Poll: Trump’s Policy Platform

This Navigator Research report contains polling data on Americans’ assessments of how politics and elections influence their day-to-day lives, including whether their lives would change depending on which party is in power and whether the political parties are different or the same. We also look at how Americans view a variety of policy positions taken by former President Trump. 

Majorities of Americans say their life changes depending on which political party is in charge

By a 28-point margin, nearly two in three Americans say their life would change depending on which political party is in charge, though a majority of independents say the opposite. Democrats (68 percent) are slightly more likely than Republicans (64 percent) to say their life would change depending on which party is in charge; however, independents — particularly independent men — differ from the overall trend, with only 44 percent of independents and just 39 percent of independent men stating their life would change regardless of which political party is in charge.

Independents are also the least likely to have thought “a lot” about who they will vote for in November.

Overall, 62 percent of Americans report having thought a lot about their November vote, but only 39 percent of independents say the same. Furthermore, nearly four in five Americans (78 percent) believe that the political parties are completely different, yet independents are much more divided, with 58 percent saying they are completely different and 42 percent saying both parties are “basically the same.”

Trump’s positions on Social Security/Medicare, the Constitution, taxes, and abortion are the most troubling.

More than two in three Americans express concern about a number of potential policy priorities expressed by former President Trump, including majorities who find them “very” concerning. Seven in ten Americans (70 percent) found it concerning that Trump supports “cutting Social Security and Medicare: in each of his budgets as president, he proposed cuts to both programs,” including 53 percent who describe this as “very” concerning. 

• Other policy priorities Americans express the highest levels of concern about include that he “wants to end the policy that allows Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug costs” (70 percent concerning, including 51 percent who are “very” concerned), that he “wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would take health insurance away from more than 45 million Americans and repeal coverage for those with pre-existing conditions” (69 percent concerning, including 49 percent who are “very” concerned), that he “supports a nationwide ban on abortion, which would criminalize women who seek abortions and the doctors who perform them” (67 percent concerning, including 51 percent who are “very” concerned), and that he “wants to give wealthy Americans and big corporations another $2 trillion tax cut” (66 percent concerning, including 52 percent who are “very” concerned).
• In addition to his policy positions, Trump’s public statements have raised significant concern among Americans, including 62 percent finding his suggestion that Americans consider injecting bleach as a means of fighting coronavirus concerning, 62 percent expressing concern that “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole country,” and 61 percent finding his statement that “Hitler did some good things” concerning.

Half of Americans say Donald Trump does not have the right policy priorities.

Those believing Trump has the right policy priorities for the country fell from being narrowly underwater at net -5 at the beginning of the survey (45 percent right priorities – 50 percent wrong priorities) to net -15 after learning more about Trump’s policy platforms and recent statements (40 percent right priorities – 55 percent wrong priorities). There was an even larger net negative shift among independents from net -5 to net -23 (32 percent right priorities – 55 percent wrong priorities).