69% of Americans reject race-based redistricting; views on the American Dream on life support; and the Fed Under Fire: NVT Poll – Ep. 80

Cygnal’s Pulse Pod Ep. 80 69% of Americans reject race-based redistricting; views on the American Dream on life support; and the Fed Under Fire w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Mitch Brown – Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal’s Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America’s political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surprising developments that you won’t want to miss.

Highlights:

• Democratic doldrums: Despite continue attacks against him, Donald Trump’s image remains resilient; since Liberation Day in April, unfavorable views toward Trump have not moved an inch. Republicans (-5 net image) continue to be viewed much more favorably than Democrats (-11 net image). Formerly the party of the working class, Democrats are now viewed 57 percent unfavorable and only 38 percent favorable among blue collar voters (-19 net image). However, Democrats are more motivated for the midterms compared to Republicans. 
  
  “There is a good reason President Trump is focused on issues that play well to his base,” said Brent Buchanan, Pollster and President at Cygnal. “He sees that 71 percent of Democrats say they are highly motivated, and despite all the lunacy we see each week from the Left, Trump won’t take anything for granted. Republicans should follow Trump’s lead and do everything they can, especially as we’re close to year out from the midterms, to close that motivation gap. Trump still has a long list of things he wants to accomplish and he’s a man of action, so expect to see base issues pop up more and more as we get closer.” 
• Interest in rates: is about the extent of voters’ engagement with the president’s latest complaints about the Federal Reserve. A whopping 78 percent say they are concerned about the impact of interest rates on the economy, and 57 percent want the Fed to lower rates over the next year, echoing President Trump’s call for a course correction. Only 10 percent approve of how rates have been handled, with 46 percent also believing the main reason for raising rates is to control inflation. Overall, voters are agnostic about Powell’s tenure as chair or his continued service in that role, but they have strong opinions about the outcome of Powell’s choices on interest rates. 

• MAHA aligns: further with the American mainstream by rejecting government subsidies for unhealthy foods. Sixty-one percent of voters say food stamps should not be eligible for purchasing unhealthy foods like sugary snacks and drinks as well as other highly processed junk. Once again, Democrats are picking the wrong side of a popular issue, with 53% believing EBT should be able to be spent on junk food. 
  
  “For some reason, the debate about using government food stamps to purchase junk food, is one we’ve been having for years,” said Brown. “Trump is a president who ends these kinds of debates by following commonsense. Everyone knows junk food decreases long-term health outcomes. Allowing folks who need those programs to purchase food that doesn’t help them get to a better place goes against commonsense and good use of public resources. So much of the MAHA platform is based on commonsense and this is just another example of how it aligns with where the clear majority of Americans are.” 
• Tariffs never backfired: against Trump as views remain mostly split since their announcement – though a majority (53%) understand tariffs have resulted in increased government revenue. Aware of this increased revenue, 48 percent say the president has been successful in his tariff negotiations. Independents are least supportive of the tariffs with 14 percent opposing them outright and 21 percent saying Trump’s work has been unsuccessful. 

Brent Buchanan X: @brentbuc
Mitch Brown X: @MitchStoneBrown