Trump's changes to the federal government aren't yet a clear political winner or loser: AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's melodramatic changes to the national authorities haven't emerged arsenic an evident governmental victor oregon loser, according to a caller canvass that indicates immoderate Americans whitethorn beryllium giving him the payment of the uncertainty for present connected his Department of Government Efficiency.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research canvass recovered that astir 4 successful 10 U.S. adults “somewhat” oregon “strongly" o.k. of Trump's handling of Social Security and a akin stock o.k. of the mode he’s managing the national government.

Those numbers are astir identical to Trump's wide statesmanlike approval, suggesting that his Republican administration’s moves to fire thousands of national workers, close Social Security Administration tract offices, effectively shutter full agencies and cancel thousands of authorities contracts haven’t yet created a important autarkic backlash — oregon spurred autarkic support.

Views of Trump and his advisor Elon Musk are inactive mostly intertwined, contempt Democrats’ caller absorption connected Musk. The 2 men suffered a decision connected Tuesday erstwhile the blimpish campaigner they had endorsed for the Wisconsin Supreme Court was defeated. Musk and the groups helium backed spent much than $21 cardinal successful the race, the archetypal large trial of how voters consciousness astir Musk's governmental impact.

The poll, which was conducted earlier Tuesday's election, recovered that some Trump and Musk are viewed much negatively than positively and are mostly rated likewise by Americans overall. Very fewer Americans person a affirmative presumption of 1 antheral and a antagonistic presumption of the other.

Trump’s actions connected DOGE mostly reflector his wide approval

Immigration emerged successful the poll arsenic a comparative spot for Trump, portion commercialized relations with different countries appeared to beryllium a comparative weakness. Unlike those issues, U.S. adults’ views connected Trump’s handling of Social Security and absorption of the national authorities are indistinguishable from his wide support rating.

This suggests that Americans whitethorn person a little developed sentiment of Trump’s actions successful this area, oregon they whitethorn beryllium waiting to measurement the impact.

There are hints successful the canvass that Trump’s pledge to chopped authorities spending whitethorn beryllium resonating. Closer to fractional of U.S. adults o.k. of Trump’s attack to authorities spending, which is somewhat higher than his wide support rating.

“I emotion DOGE,” said Adam Marefka, a 42-year-old facilities attraction specializer from Birmingham, Alabama, and a Trump supporter. “They’re cutting wasteful spending. We request a smaller government, and there’s lone 1 mode to bash that."

Others spot recklessness. Or, arsenic Paul Vaitkus, of St. Petersburg, Florida, enactment it: “Total craziness.”

“They’re not going to conscionable trim wherever it needs to trim,” said Vaitkus, a 66-year-old retired cardiologist. “They’re going to bash immense harm to agencies, and it’s going to erode the quality of those agencies to supply services to American taxpayers.”

Trump's handling of Social Security is much fashionable with adults property 60 oregon older than with younger adults. Despite that, older adults — who thin to beryllium much blimpish wide but would besides beryllium affected by cuts oregon changes to Social Security — are nary much apt to o.k. of however Trump is handling his occupation generally.

Even if there’s nary wide backlash now, slashing fashionable programs similar Social Security could inactive rapidly instrumentality Trump and Musk into perilous territory. An AP-NORC canvass conducted successful January recovered that portion Republicans and Democrats were divided connected whether the U.S. authorities is spending “too much” oregon “too little” connected the military, assistance to the mediocre and education, coagulated majorities of some said that “too little” was being spent connected Social Security.

“All I privation from this state is the authorities to assistance the seniors and the veterans. Not to instrumentality attraction of them. Help them,” said George Collins, 80, a retired bagel shaper surviving successful Fort Mohave, Arizona. “It’s hard erstwhile you're surviving connected Social Security.”

Collins, a Trump supporter, said the president's 2nd word is going overmuch amended than his first, and helium wishes Trump's critics and the courts would get retired of his way.

“I privation radical would conscionable springiness him the time,” Collins said. “Let him effort to hole it astatine least.”

Few Americans dislike Musk and enactment Trump

Despite Democrats’ attacks connected Musk, the sentiment of the influential billionaire remains mostly indistinguishable from views connected Trump. About fractional of U.S. adults person a “somewhat” oregon “very” unfavorable sentiment of some Musk and Trump, according to the poll, portion astir 3 successful 10 person a “somewhat” oregon “very” favorable presumption of some men. Only astir 1 successful 10 person a affirmative presumption of Trump and a antagonistic presumption of Musk.

Trump picked Musk to oversee a propulsion to shrink the national government, cull the national workforce and slash spending connected agencies disfavored by the White House, prompting a flurry of ineligible action.

Rooting retired waste is an important goal, said Julio Carmona, a 40-year-old wellness nonrecreational successful Stratford, Connecticut. But Carmona believes Musk, the world's richest person, lacks important authorities acquisition and is not the close idiosyncratic for the job.

“You prime a feline who has the means that helium has, that portion of it conscionable doesn’t beryllium good with me,” Carmona said. “There could’ve been truthful galore antithetic qualified radical that helium chose, but helium chose Elon Musk to bash that.”

That sliver of Americans with chiseled views of Trump and Musk look to mostly beryllium Republicans. About fractional of Republicans, for example, person a precise favorable presumption of Trump, portion astir 4 successful 10 accidental that astir Musk. They’re acold from a bulk of radical who stock their enactment identity, though — astir two-thirds of Republicans person a affirmative presumption of some Trump and Musk.

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Cooper reported from Phoenix.

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The AP-NORC canvass of 1,229 adults was conducted March 20-24, 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 3.9 percent points.

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