Democrats are deeply pessimistic about the future of their party, an AP-NORC poll finds

NEW YORK – Six months aft Donald Trump's statesmanlike victory, Democrats stay profoundly pessimistic astir the aboriginal of their party, though neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party is viewed favorably by a bulk of U.S. adults.

A caller canvass conducted earlier this period by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research recovered that lone astir one-third of Democrats are “very optimistic” oregon adjacent “somewhat optimistic” astir their party's future. That's down sharply from July 2024, erstwhile astir 6 successful 10 Democrats said they had a affirmative outlook.

“I’m not existent precocious connected Democrats close now,” said canvass responsive Damien Williams, a 48-year-old Democrat from Cahokia Heights, Illinois. “To me, they’re not doing capable to propulsion backmost against Trump.”

The canvass comes astatine a captious infinitesimal for the Democratic Party, which is desperately seeking momentum aft losing the White House and some chambers of Congress successful past fall’s wide election. In the survey, Democrats connection mixed reviews for immoderate of their party’s best-known elected officials — including Senate Democratic person Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, some of New York — portion reporting important concerns astir however leaders are chosen successful the U.S. governmental system.

Williams, a subordinate of the Teamsters union, said helium apt won't consciousness bully astir his enactment again “until idiosyncratic steps up successful presumption of being a person that tin bring affirmative alteration — an Obama-like figure.”

Republicans, meanwhile, are somewhat much optimistic astir the aboriginal of the GOP than they were past year.

The canvass finds that astir fractional of Republicans, 55%, are precise oregon somewhat optimistic astir their party's future, up from 47% past summer. Still, lone astir 3 successful 10 Republicans are optimistic astir the authorities of U.S. politics, up from astir 1 successful 10 past summer.

Patrick Reynolds, a 50-year-old Republican assemblage activistic and pastor from Fort Worth, Texas, says helium has conflicting feelings astir Trump's enactment and the aboriginal of his party.

He worries that excessively galore Republicans successful Congress are falling successful enactment down the Republican president and his main state and adviser, Elon Musk, who has led Trump's propulsion to slash the size of the national government. Reynolds besides says he's acrophobic that Trump's assertive moves to combat amerciable immigration whitethorn beryllium violating the Constitution.

“How tin we beryllium the enactment of the regularisation of instrumentality erstwhile we’re violating law principles?” Reynolds said. “I deliberation determination could beryllium a (political) backlash.”

Neither governmental enactment is particularly fashionable close now.

Overall, astir 4 successful 10 U.S. adults person a favorable presumption of the Republican Party portion astir one-third person a affirmative presumption of the Democratic Party.

This comparatively anemic enactment extends to immoderate of each party's astir salient officials.

Roughly 4 successful 10 Americans person a favorable presumption of Bernie Sanders, a Vermont autarkic who has doubly tally for the Democratic statesmanlike information and has toured the federation successful caller months rallying anti-Trump resistance. Among self-described Democrats, astir three-quarters presumption Sanders favorably.

About fractional of Democrats person a favorable presumption of Ocasio-Cortez, who has joined Sanders connected the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. She is little fashionable among U.S. adults wide — astir 3 successful 10 person a favorable sentiment of the 35-year-old representative, who is sometimes mentioned arsenic a imaginable statesmanlike campaigner successful 2028.

Schumer, the apical Senate Democrat, is little fashionable than Sanders oregon Ocasio-Cortez.

Just astir one-third of Democrats person a somewhat oregon precise favorable presumption of the 74-year-old senator, who took a deed from galore liberals for acceding to a Republican-led backing bill that kept the authorities open. The stock of Democrats who presumption Schumer positively has fallen since December 2024, erstwhile astir fractional had a somewhat oregon precise favorable view. Among each adults, his favorability stands astatine 21%.

“I conscionable consciousness similar the bulk of the aged Democratic Party needs to go," said Democrat Monica Brown, a 61-year-old societal idiosyncratic from Knoxville, Tennessee. “They’re not successful tune with the caller generation. They’re not successful tune with the caller world. We’ve got specified part wrong the party.”

On the GOP side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a erstwhile Florida senator, is much fashionable than respective different high-profile Republicans.

About 6 successful 10 Republicans presumption Rubio favorably, though that fig falls to astir one-third among each adults. About fractional of Republicans person a affirmative sentiment of House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, portion astir one-quarter of U.S. adults consciousness the same. That's astir the aforesaid level of enactment for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a erstwhile Fox News Channel big who earns favorable ratings from 44% of Republicans and astir one-quarter of Americans overall.

Beyond their antagonistic outlook connected the aboriginal of their party, 55% of Democrats are besides pessimistic astir the mode leaders are chosen successful the U.S. The fig is up somewhat from 46% past summer, erstwhile President Joe Biden was inactive successful the White House.

Linda Sleet, a 69-year-old retiree who lives successful Venice, Florida, raised circumstantial concerns astir the mode legislature districts are drawn and the Electoral College that is utilized to find statesmanlike contests alternatively of the fashionable vote.

“I don't person assurance successful the system,” Sleet said. “I deliberation it served a intent mode backmost when. It does not now.”

Williams, the Teamster from Illinois, said he's unhappy with conscionable astir everything to bash with U.S. politics.

“I’m going to request to spot immoderate wins for America, for humanity, earlier I tin beryllium optimistic close now,” helium said. “Every time is conscionable a changeless barrage of antagonistic feelings and quality politically. It's each screwed up close now.”

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Sanders reported from Washington.

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The AP-NORC canvass of 1,175 adults was conducted May 1-5, utilizing a illustration drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to beryllium typical of the U.S. population. The borderline of sampling mistake for adults wide is positive oregon minus 4 percent points.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.