WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 16, 2024) – Cygnal, one of the nation’s fastest growing and most accurate private polling firms, released the following national poll (conducted Dec. 9-11) of 1,500 likely general election voters.
“President-elect Trump is riding new all-time highs as he charges forward on an aggressive transition and agenda,” said Pollster and Cygnal President, Brent Buchanan. “Not only are voters optimistic about his second term but they also remain supportive of mass deportations to fix America’s illegal immigration crisis and overwhelmingly support Trump’s DOGE initiative lead by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Republican optimism and enthusiasm are soaring while Democrats and Kamala Harris continue to see declines in their images among the American people further proving Trump’s mandate to lead is firmly cemented in the electorate ahead of the holidays and Inauguration Day.”
Key Takeaways:
Trump Transition: 46 percent of voters believe Trump will be a better president during his second term. Forty percent said stopping inflation and the rising costs of living should be Trump’s top priority when he resumes office in January. First-time voters (+10) in 2024 are most optimistic about the direction of the country.
All in on DOGE: 60 percent of voters support the newly established Department of Government Efficiency and its goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal government waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Men of all stripes over index in support for DOGE and women overall are more nuanced but mostly supportive.
Top Issues: inflation and the economy (32%); illegal immigration (21%); threats to democracy (12%); healthcare (8%); Social Security and Medicare (7%). Democrat-leaning issues have seen a precipitous drop post-presidential campaign.
Mass Deportations: 56 percent support the government carrying out mass deportations of individuals who are in the United States illegally; 40 percent oppose.
Surrogate Effectiveness: By a more than 2:1 margin, voters believe Elon Musk (47%) was the most effective surrogate for Trump, followed by Joe Rogan and RFK Jr. tied at 22 percent. Harris’ surrogates were substantially less effective with only Taylor Swift breaking 20 percent followed by Oprah at 16 percent – 55 percent said none were effective.
Republican Optimism: On the 2026 generic ballot, the overall electorate compared to 2024 has shifted in favor of a Republican for Congress by 3 points – mostly driven by men (+8 net) and minority voters (+14 net). Trump’s image (48 fav, 51 unfav) is trending in a positive direction while the images of the Democratic Party’s leaders, Harris (46 fav, 52 unfav) and Biden (41 fav, 57 unfav), continue to decline.
Retro Ballots: Voters didn’t choose Harris because they liked her, but they did pick Trump because they like him. 66 percent of Trump supporters voted for him out of genuine support, while only 33 percent did so to oppose Harris. Conversely, 48 percent of Harris supporters voted for her, with 52 percent motivated by opposition to Trump.
Party Values: Democratic (44%); Republican (41%); both (11%); unsure (4%).
News Sources: cable news (40%, -2 from Oct.); national broadcast TV (33%, -3 from Oct.); local TV news (24%, -3 from Oct.); podcasts (18%); YouTube (17%, -5 from Oct.); newspapers (16%); X (12%).