Most Americans say U.S. on wrong track on economy, immigration and more: poll
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Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, fueled by dissatisfaction with President Trump's impact on the economy, immigration, race relations and the nation's global standing, according to a new poll with a big, broad sample.
- Even among Republicans, a significant share — nearly 30% — gave Trump low marks on the economy and how the government is functioning.
Why it matters: The survey offers a snapshot of the nation's sour mood just more than a year before the 2026 midterms — and suggests that anger could rewire political alliances and test the durability of Trump's support.
Between the lines: The 16th annual American Values Survey, by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), is worth studying because it tracks religion, values and mood, with a vast sample across racial and religious lines. The poll has been a reliable pre-election barometer.
- The poll of 5,543 adults (age 18+) was conducted online Aug. 15 to Sept. 8, with a margin of sampling error of ±1.79 percentage points.
- The findings are similar to other major polls: An AP-NORC poll out this week found 69% of Americans thought the nation was headed in the wrong direction and 30% in the right direction. A Gallup Poll last month found 67% of Americans are dissatisfied with how things are going in the U.S., and 29% are satisfied.
By the numbers: In the PRRI poll, taken in partnership with the Brookings Institution, 62% say the country is going the wrong direction, led by Democrats (92%) and independents (71%).
- 24% of Republicans said the nation was heading in the wrong direction, the poll found.
- The 68-point gap between Republicans and Democrats on that question is the widest ever recorded in PRRI's 16 years of surveys on religion and politics.
- By contrast, during President Biden's last year in office, 94% of Republicans, 70% of independents, and 41% of Democrats said the country was moving in the wrong direction.
What they're saying: PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman tells Axios that it "looks like political independents are very unhappy with Trump's actions, [with] ... close to two-thirds on many indicators saying the administration has gone too far in its policies,"
- "That's a warning sign for the GOP ahead of the midterms."
Zoom in: Six in 10 Americans say the state of race relations in the U.S. has mostly changed for the worse since the beginning of the year.
- Six in 10 Americans also say the cuts in federal funding of health care programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act have gone too far.
- The same share of respondents said they're dissatisfied with how the Trump administration deals with other countries.
A majority of those surveyed (54%) say Trump's tariffs on imported goods have gone too far.
- A majority also believes the cuts in federal funding and grants to universities and research institutions have gone overboard (55%).
The intrigue: Most Americans appear to be strongly opposed to the Trump administration's aggressive moves to remove millions of unauthorized immigrants and those who previously had protective statuses.
- Nearly two-thirds oppose arresting and detaining unauthorized immigrants who have resided in the U.S. with no criminal record.
- Nearly six in 10 agree that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers "should not be allowed to conceal their identity with masks or use unmarked vehicles when arresting people."
- About two-thirds oppose the U.S. government deporting undocumented immigrants to prisons in El Salvador, Rwanda or Libya without allowing the people to challenge deportations in court.
Zoom out: The majority of Americans disapprove of the overall job Trump is doing as president (56%).
- Most Republicans approve (86%), compared with 32% of independents and just 8% of Democrats.
- But most Americans — particularly independents — now view both the Republican and Democratic parties unfavorably.
Methodology: The American Values Survey was conducted online Aug. 15-Sept. 8. The poll is based on a representative sample of 5,543 adults (age 18 and older) living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia who are part of Ipsos' Knowledge Panel®.
- The margin of sampling error is +/- 1.79 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.
