Attention to the Court is limited, compared to other topics, though higher for those who follow politics most of the time
MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds that 66% of respondents favor the United States Supreme Court’s Feb. 20 ruling that President Donald Trump did not have authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), while 33% oppose the decision. Partisans view the decision differently, with 61% of Republicans opposing the ruling, while 73% of independents favor the ruling, as do 92% of Democrats.
Hearing or reading more about the tariff decision reinforces partisan opinions, increasing polarization. Among Republicans who heard or read a lot about the decision, 70% were opposed to the ruling, while Republicans who heard little or nothing were more evenly divided, with 56% opposed to the decision. Among independents, those who heard more were more in favor of the ruling, with 90% of that group in favor, whereas 69% of those who heard less favored it. For Democrats, attention to news of the decision made little difference in their support for it, with 94% in favor among those who heard a lot and 91% in favor among those who heard less.
The survey was conducted April 8-16, 2026, interviewing 982 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.4 percentage points.
Opinion of the ruling is strongly influenced by opinion of Trump’s handling of tariffs. Of those who approve of his handling of tariffs, 76% oppose the decision, while among those who disapprove of his job on tariffs, only 11% oppose the Court’s decision.
Republicans as a whole are more approving of Trump’s handling of tariffs, yet a very similar gap in views of the Court’s decision is clear within the party. Among Republicans who approve of Trump’s tariff policy, 79% oppose the Court’s decision, while among Republicans who disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs only 16% oppose the ruling. Too few independents or Democrats approve of Trump’s handling of tariffs to allow a similar comparison within those groups.
The ruling against a major Trump policy did little to change the public impression that the Court is going out of its way to avoid making a ruling that Trump might refuse to obey. In April, 57% say the Court is avoiding such a ruling, unchanged from January. A majority of Republicans (67%) say the Court is not avoiding ruling against Trump, while majorities of independents (66%) and Democrats (79%) say the Court is avoiding this.
Approval of the Court dipped in April to 42%, compared to 44% in January. Approval among Republicans fell to 70% from its January level of 78%, while approval among independents ticked up to 29% from 26%. Democrats also became slightly more approving of the Court, with the level rising to 19% from 17%.
Approval of how the Supreme Court is handling its job has declined during the second Trump term. In February 2025, approval stood at 51% and in March 2025 at 54%. Since then, views of the Court have become more negative, with this April’s approval the lowest since Trump returned to office. By early 2025, approval had recovered from the all-time low in Marquette Law School polling of 38% in July 2022, immediately after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nationwide abortion rights. Approval has not approached the high-water mark of 66% it reached in September 2020. The history of approval of the Court in the Marquette Law School Poll national surveys is shown in Table 1. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)
Table 1: United States Supreme Court approval
Among adults
Poll dates
Approval
Net
Approve
Disapprove
4/8-16/26
-15
42
57
1/21-28/26
-12
44
56
11/5-12/25
-12
44
56
9/15-24/25
0
50
50
7/7-16/25
-2
49
51
5/5-15/25
6
53
47
3/17-27/25
8
54
46
1/27-2/6/25
2
51
49
12/2-11/24
-4
48
52
10/1-10/24
-10
45
55
7/24-8/1/24
-14
43
57
5/6-15/24
-22
39
61
3/18-28/24
-6
47
53
2/5-15/24
-20
40
60
11/2-7/23
-18
41
59
9/18-25/23
-14
43
57
7/7-12/23
-10
45
55
5/8-18/23
-18
41
59
3/13-22/23
-12
44
56
1/9-20/23
-6
47
53
11/15-22/22
-12
44
56
9/7-14/22
-20
40
60
7/5-12/22
-23
38
61
5/9-19/22
-11
44
55
3/14-24/22
9
54
45
1/10-21/22
6
52
46
11/1-10/21
8
54
46
9/7-16/21
-1
49
50
7/16-26/21
21
60
39
9/8-15/20
33
66
33
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Supreme Court is handling its job?
On April 1, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on birthright citizenship. At issue is whether an executive order can legally declare that only children born to at least one citizen parent or to lawful permanent residents are citizens of the United States or whether the order is unconstitutional because the 14th Amendment makes all those born in the United States citizens. A majority, 69%, say the Court should rule Trump’s executive order limiting birth citizenship is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, while 30% say the executive order should stand.
Republicans are nearly evenly divided on this case, with 54% saying the Court should uphold the executive order and 46% saying it is unconstitutional. Among independents, 77% say the Court should rule the order unconstitutional, as do 91% of Democrats.
Those who approve of Trump’s handling of immigration are nevertheless somewhat divided on the question of birthright citizenship. Among those who approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, 59% say the Court should sustain the executive order, but 41% say it should be found unconstitutional.
Those who disapprove of Trump’s immigration policy are overwhelmingly of the view that the executive order should be ruled unconstitutional, 92%.
On March 23, the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning a Mississippi law that allows counting of late-arriving absentee ballots so long as they were postmarked by Election Day and arrive within five days of the election. At issue is whether this state law conflicts with federal statutes that set the date of Election Day.
The public is evenly divided on this question. Fifty-three percent say the Court should uphold the state law allowing late-arriving ballots, while 47% say the law should be struck down because it is not consistent with federal law.
The sharp partisan debate over absentee voting since 2020 is apparent in views of this case. Among Republicans, 75% say the law should be struck down. A small majority (56%) of independents think the Court should uphold the state law, while 41% would have it struck down. Democrats strongly support the Mississippi law, with 81% saying the law should be upheld and 19% thinking the Court should strike down the state law as inconsistent with federal law.
The public is evenly divided on whether absentee voting by mail should be easy for everyone to do, with 52% favoring this, or instead should be limited to those physically unable to vote in person or travelling, with 48% favoring this. Opinions on this Court case are related to those views. Among those who say absentee mail voting should be easy for all, 76% think the Court should allow late-arriving ballots to be counted, while among those who think absentee voting should be limited, 71% think the Court should strike down the law.
Views of absentee voting divide both parties in how they think the Court should rule in the Mississippi case. Among Republicans who say absentee voting should be easy, 59% would uphold the Mississippi law, while among Republicans who say absentee voting should be limited, 85% think the Court should strike it down. A similar pattern holds for Democrats. Eighty-five percent of those who favor easy absentee voting favor upholding the law, while only 59% of those who would limit absentee voting would uphold the late-arriving-ballots law.
There is a weaker relationship involving confidence in the accuracy of elections. Those who are confident in the accuracy of their state’s elections in November favor upholding the late ballots law, 57%, while those not as confident in the accuracy of the election would rather see the law struck down, 56%. In this poll, 70% are very or somewhat confident in the accuracy of the upcoming elections, while 30% are not too or not at all confident.
On January 21, the Court heard arguments concerning the president’s authority to remove a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. A majority of those polled, 66%, say the Court should rule that the president cannot remove members of the Federal Reserve, while 34% say the Court should sustain the president’s authority to remove members.
Sixty-three percent of Republicans say the Court should rule in favor of the president, while 67% of independents say the Court should rule that this is beyond the president’s authority, as do 94% of Democrats.
Trust in Trump to make the right decisions for the country is strongly related to views of his removal of members of the Federal Reserve. Among those who completely or mostly trust Trump to make the right decisions, 71% think the Court should allow him to remove members of the Fed. Among those who mostly or completely do not trust Trump, 89% think the Court should not allow him to remove members.
There is a strong partisan effect on trust in Trump, but within the Republican party there is a clear difference in views of the case between those who trust the president’s decisions and those who do not. Among Republicans who trust Trump’s decisions, 72% say the Court should allow him to remove Federal Reserve Board members, while only 26% of Republicans who are less trusting of Trump’s decisions think he should be allowed to remove members. Too few independents and Democrats trust Trump’s judgment to allow a similar comparison in those groups.
Awareness of news about the Supreme Court
With rare exceptions, the public does not follow news about the Supreme Court as much as news about other subjects. In April, 35% had heard or read a lot about the February tariff ruling, while 52% had heard a little and 13% had heard nothing at all.
Also in April, 26% said they had read or heard a lot about the Court in just the last month, while 61% heard a little and 13% heard nothing at all.
Attention to news about the Court rises around the end of the Court’s term in June when many major decisions are handed down. In combined Marquette Law School Poll national surveys conducted in July 2024 and 2025, shortly after the end of the Court’s term, 33% said they had heard a lot about the Court, while in polls conducted in other months 23% had heard a lot.
A larger influence on awareness of news about the Court is general attention to politics and public affairs. Among those who say they follow what’s going on in politics most of the time, 54% said they had heard a lot about the tariff decision, while among those who follow politics less often, only 19% had heard a lot about that decision. Similarly, of those who follow politics most of the time, 47% say they’ve heard a lot about the Court in just the last month, while among those less attentive to politics, only 9% have heard a lot.
Those most attentive to political news also get a boost in awareness of the Court in July, compared to other months. In the combined July polls of 2024 and 2025, among those who follow politics most of the time, 56% heard a lot about the Court, while in other months 41% of this group heard a lot. There is also a gap among the less attentive to political news but at a far lower level of awareness of news about the Court. Among those less attentive to politics, 15% had heard a lot about the Court in the July polls and just 9% had heard a lot in polls at other times in the year.
In April, attention to news about the Court was among the lowest levels across the eight topics covered. Attention to news about the war with Iran topped the charts, with 76% of those polled hearing a lot, and this was in the top three most attended-to topics in polling through 2025 and 2026. Less than half as many people heard a lot about the tariff ruling, 35%, and only 26% said they had heard or read a lot about the Supreme Court in the last month. The only topic that received less attention was two jury verdicts holding YouTube and Meta liable for harm to young users of their apps. The full attention ranking is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Attention to topics in the news
Among adults
Topic
Read or heard
A lot
A little
Nothing at all
The U.S. war with Iran
76
21
3
Iran limiting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz
60
27
13
The NASA mission that sent four people around the moon
56
34
10
The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security due to failure to pass a funding bill
49
38
13
The rescue of two airmen whose plane was shot down over Iran
45
34
21
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in February that blocked President Trump’s tariffs
35
52
13
Heard about the Supreme Court in last month
26
61
13
Two jury verdicts holding Meta (Facebook) and YouTube liable for harm to young users of their social media apps
18
53
29
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Here are some recent topics in the news. How much have you heard or read about each of these?
While high levels of attention to the Court are limited, a substantial majority of the public hears at least a little about the Court, and a bit more in July following the end of the term. High awareness of decisions appears to reinforce partisan predispositions, leading to somewhat greater party polarization on decisions that receive greater attention.
About the Marquette Law School Poll
The survey was conducted April 8-16, 2026, interviewing 982 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.4 percentage points. For registered voters, the sample size is 870, with a margin of error of +/-3.6. For likely voters, the sample size is 576, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points.
Interviews were conducted using the SSRS Opinion Panel, a national probability sample with interviews conducted online. Certain other data from this survey (focusing on those about national political issues) were previously released on April 23. The detailed methodology statement, survey instrument, topline results, and crosstabs for this release are available on the Marquette Law Poll website.
Wording of questions about recent and pending Supreme Court decisions: These items do not attempt to exactly frame the particular issues in specific cases but rather address the topic in more general terms.
The wording of questions about recent cases include:
Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump
As you may have heard, on February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump did not have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Do you favor or oppose this decision?
Trump v. Barbara
The Supreme Court heard arguments on April 1 asking whether an executive order can legally declare that only children born to at least one citizen parent or to lawful permanent residents are citizens of the United States or whether the order is unconstitutional because the 14th Amendment makes all those born in the United States citizens. How do you think the Supreme Court should rule?
Watson v. Republican National Committee
The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case asking whether to uphold a state law that allows absentee ballots to be counted that are postmarked by election day, but that arrive up to five days after the election, or whether this state law conflicts with the federal law setting the date of elections. Should the Supreme Court uphold the state law to count late-arriving ballots, or should it strike down the state law because it is not consistent with federal law?
Trump v. Cook
The Supreme Court has heard arguments in a case asking whether President Trump can remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. A lower court ruling prevented the removal, which the Supreme Court is now considering. How do you think the Supreme Court should rule?
93% say gas prices are up; in January 50% said they were down
24% approve of Trump’s handling of inflation, with Republican support of his policies declining
Democrats lead in generic November congressional ballot by 4 points with registered voters; by 10 points with likely voters
Opposition to data centers is increasing among all partisan groups, and negative opinion of AI is high
MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds 75% approve of the cease-fire in the U.S.-Iran war and 24% disapprove. At the same time, only 21% say the U.S. has achieved its goals in the war, while 78% say the goals have not been met. The public overall does not think that there were sufficient reasons for the war, with 63% saying there were not sufficient reasons and 36% saying there were.
There is bipartisan approval of the cease-fire that went into effect on April 7. Among Republicans, 82% approve of the cease-fire, as do 71% of Democrats and 67% of independents. There is also a bipartisan sentiment, with some partisan variation, that the goals of the war have not been achieved. Among Republicans, 64% say the United States has failed to achieve its goals, compared to 94% of Democrats and 78% of independents.
Bipartisanship breaks down on the question of the justification for the war. Seventy-one percent of Republicans say there was sufficient reason for the war, while 94% of Democrats say there was not. Among independents, 75% say there was not enough reason to go to war.
Thirty-two percent approve of the way President Donald Trump has handled the war, while 68% disapprove. Among Republicans, approval for Trump’s handling of the war stands at 65%, which is notably less than the 78% of Republicans who approve of Trump’s handling of his job as president in general. Among independents, 82% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war, along with 96% of Democrats.
The survey was conducted April 8-16, 2026, interviewing 982 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.4 percentage points. For registered voters, the sample size was 870, with a margin of error of +/-3.6. For likely voters, the sample size was 576, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points.
Feelings toward Iran are quite negative, with 12% having a favorable opinion, 73% holding unfavorable views, and 14% saying they haven’t heard enough to say. The U.S. partner in the war, Israel, is seen favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 54%, with 14% who say they haven’t heard enough. Views of Israel have turned more negative over the past year. In March 2025, 43% held favorable views of Israel, compared to 43% unfavorable, with 14% lacking an opinion.
Trump threatened to bomb bridges and power plants across Iran in the days before the cease-fire went into effect. These are seen as legitimate military targets by 38% of respondents, while 62% say they are primarily civilian infrastructure that should not be attacked. Sixty-six percent of Republicans view these as legitimate military targets, while 34% disagree. Among independents, 70% say these are civilian locations and should not be attacked, as do 88% of Democrats.
The Iran war comes after the United States has destroyed dozens of alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, sent military forces into Venezuela to seize President Nicolás Maduro in January, and threatened to take control of Greenland. Respondents were asked whether they support or oppose Trump’s use of the military to force change in other countries.
Thirty-two percent support this use of the military, while 68% are opposed.
As with approval of Trump’s handling of the Iran war, Republicans divide, though not evenly, with 64% in support of forcing change in other countries and 36% opposed.
Eighty-three percent of independents and 94% of Democrats are opposed to such use of military force.
In this poll, 68% of Republicans are favorable to MAGA and 30% are not favorable to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Among Republicans favorable to the MAGA movement, 78% support using the military to force countries to change, while among Republicans who are not favorable to MAGA, 34% support this use of the military.
The public does not see the United States as a force for stability in the world. While 39% say the U.S. is a force for stability, 60% say it is causing instability. Here, too, there is a partisan divide, with 73% of Republicans who say the U.S. is a stabilizing force, while 72% of independents and 90% of Democrats say it is causing instability.
A majority, 57%, say it is better for the future of the country to take an active part in world affairs, while 43% say it is better to stay out of world affairs. Support for an active role peaked in March 2025 when 64% favored an active role in the world—the highest in 18 Marquette Law School Poll national surveys since 2022.
Partisan views of the U.S. role in the world have shifted during Trump’s second term. In February 2025, 55% of Republicans said the U.S. should be active in the world. That rose to 68% in this poll. Independents are most reluctant to support an international role, with support among independents declining from 54% in early 2025 to 32% this month. Democrats have consistently been most supportive of an active role across the previous 17 polls since 2022, but have shifted substantially, especially since the Iran war began. In February 2025, 71% favored an active role; that fell to 64% in January 2026 and to 54% in April.
Attention to news about the Iran war
The public has paid substantial attention to the Iran war. In April, 76% had read or heard a lot about the war, 21% had heard a little, and 3% had heard nothing at all. That is more attention than was paid to the U.S. airstrikes on Iran nuclear facilities in June 2025, when 63% said they had heard a lot in July.
The only comparably high levels of attention in polling during Trump’s second term have been to the imposition of tariffs in April 2025, when 81% said they had heard a lot, and the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis in January, when 76% had heard a lot. Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to say they heard a lot about the current Iran war, 82% and 80% respectively, while independents have paid considerably less attention, with 51% hearing a lot.
Attention is also relatively high concerning Iran limiting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Sixty percent say have heard a lot about this, 27% have heard a little, and 13% have heard nothing at all. As with the war in general, Democrats and Republicans are equally attentive, while independents are much less so.
Significantly fewer Americans paid close attention to the rescue of two U.S. airmen whose airplane was shot down over Iran, leading to a large number of ground troops being dispatch inside Iran to rescue the second airman. About this, only 45% said they had heard a lot, 34% heard a little, and 21% heard nothing. While 58% of Republicans heard a lot about this, 39% of Democrats did, and just 24% of independents.
Gas and grocery prices and the economy
The public is strikingly aware of the change in gasoline prices since the Iran war began. In January, gasoline prices were a bright spot in views of the cost of living, with 50% saying prices had gone down over the previous six months, 29% saying prices had held steady, and just 21% saying they were paying more for gas.
Those views dramatically changed in April, when 93% say gas prices have increased, 5% say they’ve held steady, and just 2% say prices have declined. On this, there is agreement across all partisan categories: 90% of Republicans, 95% of independents, and 96% of Democrats agree prices have increased.
In addition to rising gasoline prices, 82% say the cost of groceries has gone up over the last six months, an increase from 70% in January. Grocery prices are said to be stable by 14% and are thought to have declined by 4%. In January, 11% thought their grocery bill was down. Republicans are less likely to say grocery prices are up, 68%, compared to 90% of independents and 93% of Democrats.
Opinion about the state of the economy also worsened from January to April. In April, 25% say the economy is excellent or good, down from 35% in January. Thirty percent say it is poor, up from 25% in January. The economy is seen as not so good by 46% in April, up from 40% in January.
The expectation of inflation over the next year has also worsened. In April, 70% think inflation will increase, up from 61% in January. Eighteen percent think it will stay about the same, and 13% think it will decrease.
The percentage of people who say they personally are better off than a year ago fell to 20% in April, from 28% in January. Those saying they are worse off rose slightly from 34% to 38%, and those saying they are doing about the same was 42% in April, up from 37%.
Most important issues
As has been the case in all six Marquette Law School national polls since March 2025, inflation and the cost of living is the issue that matters most to the public, with 30% citing it. In January, 38% chose inflation as the issue that mattered most. The decline however is in part due to the addition of the war with Iran in the April poll, which was picked as most important by 24%, the second most-cited issue. The next most common concern was the economy at 15%, followed by immigration and border security at 7%. Table 1 shows the full set of issue concerns from April and January. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)
Table 1: Most important issue
Among adults
Issue
April
January
Inflation and the cost of living
30
38
The war between Iran, Israel and the United States
24
NA
The economy
15
17
Immigration and border security
7
14
Medicare & Social Security
6
9
Health care
5
8
The size of the federal deficit
3
3
Crime
3
2
Abortion policy
2
3
The war between Russia and Ukraine
NA
1
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now?
Trump handling of issues
Confidence that Trump’s policies will decrease inflation has fallen by nearly half since December 2024, the month after he was reelected. At that time, 41% thought his policies would lower inflation, but in April 2026 only 23% think this. At the end of 2025, 45% thought his policies would increase inflation. In the current poll, 62% think his policies will drive inflation up. Another 15% say his policies won’t affect inflation, the same percentage as in December 2025.
This loss of confidence in Trump’s inflation policies has been especially pronounced among Republicans and independents. In December 2024, 76% of Republicans expected him to reduce inflation, but in this poll just 50% of Republicans still think so. Independents were not nearly so optimistic at the end of 2024, when 28% thought Trump would lower inflation, but only 5% think so now. Democrats never believed he would cut inflation: just 8% in the month after he was reelected and 2% now.
Respondents were asked, “Regardless of specific policies, how much do you trust Donald Trump to make the right decisions for the country?” Confidence has declined from 45% who completely or mostly trusted him in March 2025 to 39% now, with those who completely or mostly not trusting him rising from 55% to 61% in April.
Approval of how Trump is handling his job as president stands at 39%, against 60% who disapprove, for a net approval rating of -21 percentage points. The approval rating is a new low for the second term, down from 42% approval in January 2026; it was 48% in February 2025, at the start of his second term.
Among Republicans, Trump’s approval is 78%, down from 89% at the start of his second term. This is the first time GOP approval has fallen below 80%. Approval among independents is 20%. Among Democrats, it is 6%.
On specific issues, approval ranges from 52% on border security to 24% on inflation. All issues other than the border have more disapproval than approval, with handling of immigration at 44% approval and approval of tariffs, the economy, the war with Iran, and inflation getting lower approval than Trump’s overall approval of how he handles his job (39%). Trump’s handling of inflation gets the lowest net approval rating of all issues, at -52 points. The full set of issues are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Trump job approval across issues
Among adults
Issue
Net approve minus disapprove
Approve
Disapprove
Border security
5
52
47
Immigration
-11
44
55
Overall
-21
39
60
Tariffs
-31
34
65
The economy
-36
32
68
The war with Iran
-36
32
68
Inflation/cost of living
-52
24
76
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling each of the following issues?
Trump’s approval within each partisan group also varies considerably across issues. Among Republicans, approval ranges from 90% for his handling of border security to 48% for handling inflation, the first time GOP approval has been below 50% on this item. Among independents, no topic wins as much as 40% approval, and none reach 20% among Democrats. The full results are shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Trump job approval across issues, by partisan identification
Among adults
Issue
All adults approve
Rep approve
Ind approve
Dem Approve
Border security
52
90
39
18
Immigration
44
81
34
10
Overall
39
78
20
6
Tariffs
34
71
14
4
The war with Iran
32
65
16
4
The economy
32
64
15
5
Inflation/cost of living
24
48
7
5
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling each of the following issues?
Views of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remain negative, with 39% who approve of how ICE is enforcing immigration laws and 61% who disapprove. In January, 40% approved and 60% disapproved.
Favorability to Trump administration figures
Opinion of members of the Trump administration varies considerably, and by partisanship. Favorability ratings of the president and vice president, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel find each with more unfavorable than favorable ratings among all adult respondents, as seen in Table 4. Rubio and Vance have the least negative ratings, followed by Hegseth, Patel, and Trump, with Bondi seen the most unfavorably.
Table 4: Favorability to administration officials
Among adults
Official
Favorablity
Net
Favorable
Unfavorable
Haven’t heard enough
Marco Rubio
-12
33
45
22
JD Vance
-13
39
52
9
Pete Hegseth
-21
25
46
29
Kash Patel
-22
25
47
28
Donald Trump
-22
38
60
1
Pam Bondi
-39
19
58
24
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?
Their ratings are considerably more favorable among Republicans, with all except Bondi having a net positive favorability, as shown in Table 5. Each of the cabinet secretaries is considerably less well known than the president or vice president.
Table 5: Favorability to administration officials, among Republicans
Among Republicans
Official
Favorablity
Net
Favorable
Unfavorable
Haven’t heard enough
JD Vance
63
79
16
5
Donald Trump
58
79
21
1
Marco Rubio
51
67
16
17
Pete Hegseth
33
53
20
27
Kash Patel
31
53
22
25
Pam Bondi
0
37
37
26
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?
Opinion of the parties and vote for Congress in November
Both political parties are seen negatively, with the Republican party faring better than the Democrats. Thirty-seven percent approve of how Republicans in Congress are doing their job, while 30% approve of the job congressional Democrats are doing. Similarly, 38% have a favorable opinion of the Republican party and 34% are favorable towards the Democratic party. Views of the Republican party have worsened over the year since March 2025 when 46% were favorable, while favorable views of the Democratic party were the same in March 2025 as in April 2026.
Democrats are less positive about the job Democrats in Congress are doing than are Republicans about the congressional GOP. Among Democrats, 55% approve of Democrats in Congress, while among Republicans 71% approve of their party in Congress. This asymmetry between partisans accounts in part for the lower rating of Democrats in Congress. Both partisan camps very strongly disapprove of the other party: 92% of Democrats disapprove of Republicans in Congress and 91% of Republicans disapprove of congressional Democrats.
Looking ahead to the November congressional elections, among registered voters, 48% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate and 44% would vote for the Republican. An additional 6% say they would vote for neither, and 1% say they would not vote. The slight Democratic advantage increases among likely voters, i.e., those who say they are certain they will vote, to 53% for the Democratic candidate to 43% for the Republican candidate.
While Democrats are less approving of their congressional party, they are slightly more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate than are Republicans to vote for the Republican candidate, 96% and 92% respectively, among registered voters, and 97% to 93% among likely voters.
Democrats hold an advantage in plans to vote in November, with 77% of Democratic registered voters saying they are certain to vote while 65% of Republicans are equally likely to cast a ballot. A similar difference appears for enthusiasm about voting in November, with 50% of Democrats saying they are very enthusiastic compared to 33% of Republicans, among registered voters. This turnout and enthusiasm advantage boosts Democrats’ edge among those most likely to participate in the fall elections.
Each party has developed internal differences. Among Republicans, 68% have a favorable opinion of MAGA, the Make America Great Again movement, while 30% have an unfavorable opinion of MAGA and just 3% haven’t heard enough. The “non-MAGA Republicans” combine both the unfavorable and “haven’t heard enough” groups. The size of the MAGA Republicans peaked in May 2025 at 80% of the GOP. The MAGA Republicans remain much more positive to Trump and his policies than do non-MAGA Republicans, giving Trump a 95% approval rating compared to 43% among non-MAGA Republicans. While some MAGA media figures have been critical of the Iran war and other Trump actions, this has not moved the MAGA base. In contrast, the non-MAGA Republicans are quite critical of Trump and some of his policies.
On the Democratic side, the rise of progressive candidates and opinions in the party is seen in the 41% of the party who have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Eighteen percent of Democrats are unfavorable, and 40% say they haven’t heard enough. The “non-DSA Democrats” include the unfavorable and the “haven’t heard enough” Democrats. This division in the party does not matter for views of Trump or support for Democratic candidates in November. More than 93% of both Democratic camps disapprove of Trump’s job performance, and more than 95% of registered voters who identify as Democrats say they will vote for the Democratic candidate.
There is, however, a considerable divide among Democrats in political ideology between the DSA and non-DSA parts of the party. Among those Democrats favorable to the DSA, 43% describe themselves as very liberal and 25% call themselves moderate. Among Democrats not favorable to the DSA (including those without an opinion of it), 15% consider themselves very liberal and 47% say they are moderate.
Similarly, MAGA Republicans are more likely to describe themselves as very conservative or somewhat conservative, whereas a slim majority of non-MAGA Republicans call themselves moderate. The full relationship between party factions and ideology, including MAGA and DSA identification within the respective parties, is shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Ideology by party and factions
Among adults
Party & faction
Ideology
Very conservative
Somewhat conservative
Moderate
Somewhat liberal
Very liberal
Republican, MAGA
37
46
15
2
0
Republican, Non-MAGA
14
33
51
2
0
Independent
5
14
64
7
8
Democrat, Non-DSA
3
8
47
27
15
Democrat, DSA
1
8
25
23
43
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Generally speaking, how would you describe your political views?
NASA and the moon
The Artemis II mission sent three Americans and a Canadian around the moon at the same time as some of the interviews for this poll. The mission was launched on April 1, prior to the start of interviews, and returned to earth April 11, before the end of interviews. Respondents have a positive opinion of NASA, with 77% favorable, 13% unfavorable, and 10% who haven’t heard enough. NASA has bipartisan support, with 81% favorable rating from Republicans and 82% from Democrats, and 55% favorable from independents, 23% of whom say they haven’t heard enough.
Favorable views of NASA are higher among those 60 years old and over as shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Favorability to NASA, by age
Among adults
Age
Favorability
Favorable
Unfavorable
Haven’t heard enough
18-29
75
12
13
30-44
74
18
8
45-59
75
15
11
60+
83
8
9
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: [NASA] Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?
NASA also enjoys highly favorable ratings across race, gender, and education groups, with more than 70% favorable in each category. College graduates, men, and white respondents are somewhat more favorable, although all groups are quite positive. The full results are shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Favorability to NASA, by race, education, and sex
Among adults
Race, education, sex
Favorability
Favorable
Unfavorable
Haven’t heard enough
White, non-college, men
81
14
4
White, non-college, women
71
13
16
White, college, men
94
3
3
White, college, women
85
10
5
Non-white
72
16
12
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: [NASA] Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?
The Artemis mission drew substantial attention, with 56% saying they heard or read a lot about it, 34% a little, and 10% nothing at all. Those who heard a lot were more favorable to NASA than those who heard less, with those less attentive being more likely to say they didn’t have an opinion of NASA, rather than a negative one.
While NASA’s image is quite positive, there is a much more even divide over the goal of trips to the moon and establishment of a permanent base there. Forty-six percent support a moon base, while 54% say this is not something the country should do. Here there is only a small partisan difference of opinion, with 53% of Republicans in favor of a moon base, while 55% of Democrats are opposed. Independents, however, are substantially opposed, with 72% against a moon base.
Majorities of each age group under 60 years old are opposed to a moon base, while a slim majority (54%) of those age 60 or older favor a base. Men are also slightly in favor of a base, while women are more opposed, as are nonwhite respondents.
Data centers, AI, tech companies, social media use, and a billionaire tax
A substantial majority (69%) of adults say the costs of data centers outweigh their benefits, while 30% say the benefits are greater. This represents an increase in skepticism about data centers since January, when 62% saw costs as greater than benefits and 37% said benefits are greater.
This opposition is bipartisan, with 62% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats, and 73% of independents saying the costs are greater than the benefits. This opinion increased across each partisan group. In January, 53% of Republicans, 70% of Democrats, and 65% of independents saw costs greater than benefits.
Doubts over the costs of data centers are only slightly related to income, education, age, or region of the country. Liberals are more likely to say the costs outweigh the benefits than are conservatives, but majorities of all ideological groups think the costs are greater.
Opinion of data centers was measured with a pair of questions asked of a random half sample each. One item began “Tech companies like Google and Meta (Facebook) are investing billions . . . ,” while the other question omitted mention of the companies, beginning “Companies are investing billions . . . .” Among those asked about Google and Meta, 72% said the costs outweigh the benefits, while those to whom the companies were not mentioned were slightly less likely (67%) to say costs are greater. This difference falls short of statistical significance, and the two responses have been combined for the analysis above and to follow.
Views of data centers are strongly related to views of artificial intelligence. Seventy percent of adults say the development of AI is a bad thing for society, and 30% say it is a good thing. Of those who think AI is a good thing, 62% say the benefits outweigh the costs of data centers. Among those who say AI is a bad thing, 83% say the costs outweigh the benefits.
Those who say they have used an AI app in the last month are less negative about the effect of AI on society than are non-AI users, although majorities of both AI users, 60%, and non-users, 85%, say AI is a bad thing for society.
Despite this negative view of AI, a majority of adults, 61%, say they have used an AI app in the last month. Respondents were asked about use of eight AI apps. OpenAI’s ChatGPT had the highest usage at 39%, followed by Google’s Gemini at 23%. AI mode in search engines was the third most frequent use of AI at 22%. The full list of AI use is shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Use of AI apps
Among adults
AI app
Use of AI
Percent
ChatGPT (Open AI)
39
Gemini (Google)
23
AI mode in search engines
22
Copilot in Microsoft applications
12
Claude (Anthropic)
6
Grok (xAI)
4
Some other AI app
3
Perplexity
3
Doesn’t use any AI
39
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Which of the following artificial intelligence (AI) apps have you used in the past month? (Choose all that apply)
Use of AI increases with education. Forty-nine percent of high school graduates say they used AI in the last month, rising to 68% of college graduates and to 75% of those with post-graduate degrees.
Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to use AI, 62% and 64% respectively, with independents a little less likely to use AI, 55%.
Two giant tech companies offer contrasting public images. Google is seen favorably by 56% and unfavorably by 37%, with 7% who haven’t heard enough. YouTube, owned by Google’s parent company, is the most widely used social media app in this poll, with 75% who say they have used it in the last week. Among YouTube users, Google’s favorable rating is 56%, the same as among all adults. There are only small partisan differences in views of Google, with 56% of Republicans and 54% of Democrats holding a favorable view and a slightly more positive 63% among independents.
For Meta, formerly known as Facebook, opinion is more negative, with 28% favorable, 63% unfavorable, and 10% having not heard enough. (In the question, the company was identified as “Meta (Facebook)”.) Among Facebook users, 59% were unfavorable, as were 63% of Instagram users, another Meta company but one not mentioned in the text of the question. In this poll, 69% of adults say they use Facebook and 48% use Instagram. Partisan differences are also modest in views of Meta. Among Republicans, 31% are favorable, as are 24% of Democrats and 27% of independents.
In April, two juries delivered verdicts holding Meta (Facebook) and YouTube liable for harm to young users of their social media apps. Relatively few people had heard much about these decisions, with 18% having heard a lot about this, 53% a little, and 29% nothing at all. Opinions of Meta were unrelated to how much or little had been heard of these jury verdicts. Those who heard nothing at all were a bit more favorable to Google, 62%, than those who heard a lot or a little, 54%
Social media has thoroughly permeated the public. Only 6% of adults say that they haven’t used any of the nine social media platforms asked about in the poll in the prior week. The most widely used is YouTube at 75%, followed by Facebook at 69% and Instagram at 48%. The usage rate of each of the social media covered in this poll is shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Social media apps used in the last week
Among adults
Social media app
Use of social media
Percent
YouTube
75
Facebook
69
Instagram
48
TikTok
31
Reddit
23
X/Twitter
20
Snapchat
18
Truth Social
3
Bluesky
2
None of these
6
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Which of the following sites or apps, if any, have you used in the past week?
There are generally modest partisan differences in use of the major social media platforms. Of the most used apps, there are small partisan gaps in YouTube and Facebook use. Democrats are more likely to use Instagram than Republicans, and to a lesser degree TikTok and Reddit, due in part to greater use among the young who also lean more Democratic. Among the apps with substantial political content, Republicans and Democrats are equally likely to use X, formerly known as Twitter. Republicans have Truth Social virtually to themselves, while Democrats are much more likely to use Bluesky than are Republicans. These results are shown in Table 11.
Table 11: Social media apps, by party identification
Among adults
Social media app
Users by party identification
Among all adults
Republican
Independent
Democrat
YouTube
75
73
69
78
Facebook
69
75
69
64
Instagram
48
40
45
58
TikTok
31
26
37
34
Reddit
23
17
22
29
X/Twitter
20
22
12
22
Snapchat
18
17
17
19
Truth Social
3
7
0
0
Bluesky
2
1
1
5
None of these
6
7
9
3
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Which of the following sites or apps, if any, have you used in the past week?
Age has a much larger influence on choice of social media than does partisanship. While YouTube use is fairly even across age groups, differences are seen on Facebook. Those under 30 are substantially less likely to use Facebook than those 30 and older. Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and Snapchat are each substantially more popular among younger than older adults. X is also more widely used among younger groups, while Truth Social is much more appealing to older people. Age differences are small for Bluesky. These results are shown in Table 12.
Table 12: Social media apps used, by age
Among adults
Social media app
Users by age
Among all adults
18-29
30-44
45-59
60+
YouTube
75
80
77
79
67
Facebook
69
55
73
74
71
Instagram
48
67
56
50
30
TikTok
31
56
36
28
16
Reddit
23
35
34
16
12
X/Twitter
20
33
22
14
16
Snapchat
18
37
27
12
5
Truth Social
3
1
1
2
7
Bluesky
2
1
4
2
3
None of these
6
3
4
4
10
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: Which of the following sites or apps, if any, have you used in the past week?
California may vote on a proposed referendum in November that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of those with more than $1 billion. The referendum must gather enough signatures to be placed on the ballot, which has not yet occurred. Other states are considering various kinds of additional taxes on the very wealthy. In this survey, respondents were asked whether they favor or oppose a “special additional tax on billionaires.” This is favored by 73% and opposed by 27%. Majorities of each partisan group favor such a tax, though support is less among Republicans, 56%, than among independents, 69%, or Democrats, 91%.
Confidence in elections
Seventy percent say they are very or somewhat confident that the votes in the November elections in their state will be accurately cast and counted, while 30% say they are not too or not at all confident in the accuracy of the election. Confidence in high for both Republicans, 72%, and Democrats, 78%, but a slight majority of independents are not confident, 55%.
Respondents trust state and local officials more to ensure fair and accurate elections than the federal government, 73% to 26%. Here there is a substantial partisan divide. Among Republicans, 55% trust the state more, while 72% of independents and 92% of Democrats have more trust in state and local officials. Among those who are not confident in the accuracy of the election, a majority, 60%, trust state officials more, while, among those who are confident in the election accuracy, 79% trust state officials more than federal.
The SAVE America act, which is pending before the Senate, among other things would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and has been strongly supported by the president. There is considerable suspicion of non-citizen voting among the public. Seventeen percent say non-citizens often vote, and 30% say this happens sometimes. A small majority, 53%, say this never or hardly ever happens. The belief that non-citizens commonly vote is strongly related to partisanship, with a large majority of Republicans saying that this happens at least sometimes and 53% of independents agreeing. A large majority of Democrats say non-citizens never or hardly ever vote. The full relationship is shown in Table 13.
Table 13: Non-citizen voting, by party identification
Among adults
Party ID
Non-citizen voting
Never/Hardly ever
Sometimes
Often
Republican
25
43
32
Independent
44
38
15
Democrat
85
13
2
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey Apr. 8-16, 2026
Question: In your state, how often do you think non-citizens illegally vote?
Those who believe that non-citizens vote sometimes or often give extremely large estimates of how many non-citizens vote in elections in their state. Forty-four percent of those who think non-citizens vote sometimes or often believe that more than 10,000 votes are cast by non-citizens in their state, and among those who think non-citizens often vote, 41% believe this exceeds 100,000 votes in their state.
The requirement to prove citizenship in order to register or re-register to vote has been adopted in several states and would become a national requirement under the SAVE America act. Proof of citizenship typically requires a passport, birth certificate, or proof of naturalization. In this survey, 85% say they have either a passport or a birth certificate in their possession, and 7% possess a naturalization certificate. Eight percent say they do not have a passport and do not have a birth certificate in their possession and would have to get a copy from the state where they were born in order to register. Among those who say they are not registered to vote, 14% lack a passport or birth certificate in their possession.
A potential complication for those relying on a birth certificate to register is a name that has legally changed since birth, thus requiring additional proof of identity. Among women who are currently or have been married, 59% have changed their names from what appears on their birth certificate. Among men who have ever been married, 96% have not changed their name.
The public is evenly divided on how easy absentee voting by mail should be. Fifty-two percent say it should be easy for everyone to do, while 48% say it should be limited to those physically unable to vote in person or who are travelling out-of-town on election day. There are sharp partisan differences, with 76% of Republicans saying absentee voting by mail should be limited, while 83% of Democrats say it should be easy for all. Independents are evenly divided, with 47% saying it should be easy for all and 51% saying it should be limited.
Twenty-eight percent say they have voted by mail in half or more of recent elections, while 17% have done so once or twice and 46% have never voted absentee by mail. An additional 9% say they haven’t voted or aren’t registered.
Among those who have voted most often by mail, 73% say it should be easy for everyone to do so, as do 60% of those who have voted by mail once or twice. For those who have never voted by mail, 63% say mail voting should be limited to those physically unable to vote in person or who are travelling.
About the Marquette Law School Poll
The survey was conducted April 8-16, 2026, interviewing 982 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.4 percentage points. For registered voters the sample size is 870, with a margin of error of +/-3.6. For likely voters the sample size is 576 with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points. Interviews were conducted using the SSRS Opinion Panel, a national probability sample with interviews conducted online. Certain other data from this survey (focusing on those about public views of the Supreme Court) are held for release on April 23. The detailed methodology statement, survey instrument, topline results, and crosstabs for this release are available on the Marquette Law Poll website.
