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March Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll: Trump Approval Drops 3 Pts. to 43% Amidst Worsening Views on the Economy and Support for the Iran War Split Along Partisan Lines
March Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll: Trump Approval Drops 3 Pts. to 43% Amidst Worsening Views on the Economy and Support for the Iran War Split Along Partisan Lines
45% OF VOTERS SAY THEIR PERSONAL FINANCIAL SITUATION IS WORSENING, A 5-POINT INCREASE FROM LAST MONTH, AND 71% THINK INFLATION IS ABOVE 3 PERCENT
76% OF VOTERS THINK THE U.S. IS WINNING THE WAR ON IRAN AND THREE IN FIVE VOTERS SAY IRAN IS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT
51% SUPPORT U.S.-ISRAEL AIRSTRIKES ON THE IRANIAN REGIME AND 54% SAY THE CAMPAIGN IS JUSTIFIED
SUPPORT FOR THE AIRSTRIKES IS SPLIT ALONG PARTISAN LINES WITH 79% OF REPUBLICANS - INCLUDING 87% OF SELF-IDENTIFIED MAGA VOTERS AND 80% OF TRUMP 2024 VOTERS - SUPPORTING IT; WHILE ONLY 46% OF INDEPENDENTS AND 26% OF DEMOCRATS HAVE FAVORABLE VIEWS
65% OF VOTERS OPPOSE THE DHS SHUTDOWN
MAJORITY SUPPORT THE SAVE AMERICA ACT AND 59% SAY IT SHOULD BE PASSED BEFORE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
CONGRESSIONAL HORSERACE REMAINS TIGHT AT 51-49 WITH DEMOCRATS HOLDING A 2-POINT LEAD
NEW YORK, NY AND CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 30, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) today released the results of the March Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
President Donald Trump's job approval rating has dropped three points to 43%, with slight decreases across all policy areas. His job approval is highest on fighting crime in America's cities (47%), returning America to its values (47%), and immigration (46%); and lowest on handling inflation (39%) and the economy (40%). This month's poll also covered public opinion on the airstrikes on the Iranian regime, overall economy, midterms, DHS shutdown, voter ID requirements, and Cuba. Download the key results here.
"Trump shows a small decline given the twin events of the Iran War and the DHS shutdown, and the Congressional race remains tight," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS/ Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. "Gas price increases are likely behind the decline, but such declines are likely temporary if the war goes as planned. Support for the war is split along partisan lines but there are no questions in voter minds about the evil intentions of Iranian regime."
VIEWS ON THE COUNTRY AND ECONOMY WORSEN
35% of voters say the country is on the right track (-3 pts., Feb. 2026). 32% say the economy is on the right track (-6).
45% of voters say their personal financial situation is getting worse (+5), including 43%, a plurality, of likely midterm voters.
The Republican Party approval rating is at 44% (-4), while the Democratic Party approval rating is at 43% (-2). Congressional approval is at 30% (-4).
Inflation and immigration continue to be the nation's top two most important issues today, according to voters, with healthcare decreasing (-5) and terrorism/national security increasing (+8) in salience this month.
PERCEPTIONS OF HIGH INFLATION AND SHRINKING GDP RISE
62% of voters say the current state of the economy is due to the Trump administration over Biden (Democrats: 83%; Republicans: 38%; Independents: 66%).
53% of voters say the economy is worse today than it was under Biden (+5 pts., Feb. 2026).
59% of voters think the economy is shrinking (+7). 71% believe inflation is above 3 percent a year right now (+9), including a majority across political parties.
MOST TRUMP POLICIES CONTINUE TO SEE MAJORITY SUPPORT
The majority of key Trump policies continue to see majority support. His most popular policies are lowering prescription drug prices (85% support), deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes (77%), eliminating fraud in government expenditures (75%), and capping credit card interest rates at 10% for one year (70%).
Trump's least popular policies include Medicaid cost cuts (44%), hiring additional ICE agents to conduct immigration raids (45%), and scaling back participation in international organizations (45%).
74% of voters say it is in the U.S.' interests to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, including a majority across political parties. 52% oppose Trump's handling of the Iran conflict so far.
48% of voters, a plurality, say Trump is doing a worse than expected as president (+4).
VOTERS SEE WIDE POLICY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PARTIES ON IRAN, VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS, AND IMMIGRATION
82% of voters say Democrats are against the war on Iran, while 78% say Republicans are for it.
60% of voters say Democrats are against voter ID requirements (Democrats: 46%; Republicans: 76%; Independents: 58%), while 84% say Republicans are for them.
56% of voters say Democrats stand for open borders, including a majority across political parties.
52% of voters say Democrats are for deporting violent criminals here illegally, while 79% say the same of Republicans.
60% of voters say special prosecutors under the Biden administration obtaining phone records on members of Congress was inappropriate, and 55% view it as spying by the Democrats. 65% of voters believe the prosecutor should go to jail.
MAJORITY OF VOTERS PLANNING TO VOTE IN 2026 MIDTERMS AND ARE THINKING OF 2028
73% say they will definitely or probably vote in the 2026 Congressional midterm elections (Definitely: Democrats: 62%; Republicans: 62%; Independents: 42%).
51% of voters say they would vote for a Democrat if the congressional election were held today. The lead widens to 4 points among likely midterm voters.
67% of voters have given thought to the 2028 presidential election, including a majority across political parties.
Kamala Harris (41%) and J.D. Vance (42%) are the favored candidates for president among voters from their respective parties.
DHS SHUTDOWN IS UNPOPULAR; VOTERS WANT FUNDING FOR TSA AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES
65% of voters oppose the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including a majority across political parties. 53% blame the Republicans.
64% of voters support funding non-immigration portions of DHS like the TSA, including a majority across political parties.
69% of voters support funding DHS with $100 million for agent body cameras and audits.
60% of voters would prefer to not provide any more funding to ICE unless it changes operations. 52% say the DHS shutdown by Democrats was a justified response to ICE actions (Democrats: 73%; Republicans: 33%; Independents: 50%).
CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE SAVE AMERICA ACT WITH A MAJORITY IN FAVOR OF PASSING IT BEFORE NOVEMBER MIDTERMS
68% of voters support the proposed SAVE America Act, and 56% agree the Act is a commonsense way to stop election fraud (-4). 62% of voters believe there is at least some voter fraud in U.S. elections.
The majority of voters continue to support the specific requirements of the Act, including proof of citizenship (74%), voter ID (81%), states removing non-citizens from voter rolls (80%), and states sharing redacted voting rolls with the DHS (58%).
56% of voters believe stricter voter ID requirements are neutral with no benefit to either political party, including a plurality across political parties. 52% believe politicians who support the SAVE America Act are actually concerned about voter fraud (+3).
59% of voters are for passing the SAVE America Act into law before the midterm elections in November. 39%, a plurality, say they are more likely to support someone running for office who supports the Act.
77% of voters say there should be a national law to require counting ballots within 24 hours of Election Day, including a majority across political parties.
50% of voters support mail voting (-4), and 68% support early voting.
VOTERS SAY AIRSTRIKES ARE JUSTIFIED AND IRAN IS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO THE U.S.
54% of voters think U.S. airstrikes on Iran are justified and a majority agree with all tested justifications, with the killing of thousands of unarmed citizen protestors (63%), global terror cells (62%), and Iranian missiles and drones against civilians in neighboring countries (62%) convincing the most voters, including a majority across political parties.
63% of voters say the U.S. should support regime change in Iran, including a majority across political parties. 54% believe U.S. military airstrikes will be successful in leading such a change.
62% of voters say Iran is a national security threat to the U.S., and 67% believe it has been a leading source of instability, terrorism, and war in the Middle East.
51% of voters support the US-Israeli airstrikes (Democrats: 26%; Republicans: 79% (MAGA voters: 87%; Trump 2024 voters: 80%); Independents: 46%).
76% of voters believe the U.S. is winning the war on Iran right now, including a majority across political parties and age groups.
57% of voters support a diplomatic agreement that ends military fighting but would leave the current Iranian regime in place.
53% of voters oppose having a small contingent of U.S. troops on the ground in Iran.
After reading information on the Iranian regime and nuclear weapons program, 56% of voters support U.S. airstrikes on Iran (+5 from pre-messaging).
MAJORITY OF VOTERS OPPOSE CURRENT REGIME IN CUBA BUT DON'T WANT U.S. TO INTERVENE DIRECTLY
74% of voters oppose the regime in Cuba. 60% believe the people who run Cuba do not have the support of their people, including a majority across political parties.
53% of voters oppose the U.S. playing a more active role in pressuring reform in Cuba, and 57% oppose political or military intervention.
The plurality of voters say the U.S. should pursue diplomatic negotiations (27%) and provide humanitarian aid to the Cuban people (26%).
The March Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on March 25-26, 2026, among 2,009 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About The Harris Poll & HarrisX
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in the U.S. and over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Contact:
Carrie Hsu
[email protected]
SOURCE: Stagwell
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
(K.Lee--TAG)
