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May Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll: Trump Approval Steady at 43% With Increasing Support on Iran
May Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll: Trump Approval Steady at 43% With Increasing Support on Iran
72% OF VOTERS SAY THE U.S. IS WINNING THE WAR WITH IRAN; TWO-THIRDS BELIEVE THE U.S. HAS UPPER HAND IN NEGOTIATIONS, UP 12 PTS. FROM APRIL
68% OF VOTERS BELIEVE IRANIANS ARE JUST BUYING TIME WITH NEGOTIATIONS
59% OF VOTERS SAY ANOTHER ROUND OF STRIKES WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IF IRAN REFUSES TO END NUCLEAR PROGRAM
47% OF VOTERS SAY THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION IS WORSENING, A 5-PT. INCREASE
CONGRESSIONAL HORSERACE REMAINS TIGHT AT 51-49 WITH DEMOCRATS HOLDING A 2-PT. LEAD
85% OF VOTERS WANT LOWER TAXES AND BELIEVE NEITHER PARTY HAS A PLAN TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS
60% OF VOTERS SUPPORT A NATIONAL BAN ON GERRYMANDERING AND WANT IT RESTRICTED BY THE COURTS
A PLURALITY OF VOTERS WANT THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO BLOCK THE ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND
57% OF VOTERS SUPPORT A REGIME CHANGE POLICY TOWARD CUBA
NEW YORK, NY AND CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESS Newswire / June 2, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) today released the results of the May 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 approval rating is at 43%. His job approval is highest on immigration (49%) and fighting crime (48%); and lowest on handling inflation (35%) and tariffs and trade (37%). This month's poll also covered public opinion on the economy, midterms, fraud, gerrymandering, the DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund, antisemitism, war with Iran, Cuba, and China. Download the key results here.
"The data shows no change in the administration ratings as a result of the ceasefire. The voters appreciate it but are worried Iran is just buying time with negotiations and would back going to military action to achieve the goals," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. "Voters were concerned about the economy before the conflict and remain concerned."
VOTERS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT INFLATION AND THE ECONOMY
31% of voters say the U.S. economy is on the right track (-3 pts., April 2026), and 57% say it is weak today (+5).
47% of voters say their financial situation is worsening (+5).
Inflation and the economy remain voters' top concerns, with both ticking up in salience (+3) and more voters concerned about national debt and federal budget deficits since last month (+4).
MOST TRUMP POLICIES CONTINUE TO SEE STRONG SUPPORT, BUT VOTERS WANT CONGRESS TO KEEP HIS AGENDA IN CHECK
17 out of 21 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 (80%), and eliminating fraud in government expenditures (78%).
Trump's least popular policies include Medicaid cost cuts (46%), hiring additional ICE agents to conduct immigration raids (47%), and tariffs (51%).
65% of voters think Congress should be more of a check and balance on Trump rather than work to pass his agenda, including 64% of likely midterm voters.
DEMOCRATS HOLD SLIGHT EDGE IN CONGRESSIONAL HORSERACE; HARRIS AND VANCE LOSE GROUND BUT REMAIN FRONTRUNNERS FOR 2028 ELECTION
73% of voters say they are planning to vote in the upcoming 2026 Congressional midterm elections (Democrats: 66%; Republicans: 64%; Independents: 39%).
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.
68% of voters have thought about the upcoming 2028 presidential election.
Kamala Harris (44%; -6) and J.D. Vance (45%; -3) remain the most favored candidates for president among voters from their respective parties. 26% of Democrats favor Gavin Newsom (+4), and 21% of Republicans favor Don Trump Jr. (+3) and Marco Rubio (+5).
VOTERS EXPECT PRICE HIKES FROM TENSIONS WITH IRAN ARE LONG-TERM AS GAS AND GROCERIES BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE
56% of voters believe the economy is worse today than it was when Biden was president (+4).
77% of voters think inflation is above 3 percent a year (+4), and 57% think the economy is shrinking.
51% of voters trust the Trump administration and Republicans to manage the economy more than Democrats in Congress (-2).
A majority of voters have noticed increases in each of six key spending categories, with 88% of voters noticing an increase in the price of gasoline and 85% noticing the same of groceries/food.
Most voters say war and geopolitical conflict is the biggest cause of higher gas prices (53%). 58% of voters believe price increases caused by tensions with Iran are long-term and not likely to go back down anytime soon.
53% of voters say higher gas prices are not worth the cost, even if it affects U.S. national security goals (+2), despite 73% saying the U.S. should prioritize energy independence.
VOTERS WANT LOWER TAXES BUT BELIEVE NEITHER PARTY HAS A PLAN TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY
89% of voters want lower taxes. 52% of voters believe Democrats want to lower taxes, and 50% believe the same of Republicans.
The majority of voters believe Democrats (54%) and Republicans (53%) do not have a plan to address affordability issues and curb rising prices.
55% of voters believe Democrats do not have a plan to curb crime in American cities, while 55% believe Republicans do have a plan.
STRONG MAJORITY OF VOTERS BELIEVE THERE IS A LOT OF FRAUD IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
84% of voters think there is a lot of fraud in government programs, including a majority across political parties. 41% of voters, a plurality, believe it is on the scale of billions of dollars.
56% of voters approve of the antifraud and waste program headed by Vice President J.D. Vance.
60% of voters say Democrats during the Biden administration rushed a lot of programs that enabled fraud. But 52% of voters say Republicans are more responsible for fraud and waste in the government.
54% of voters believe Democrats in Minnesota deliberately ignored fraud in the Somali community.
MAJORITY OF VOTERS BACK A NATIONAL BAN ON GERRYMANDERING AND BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED BY COURTS
67% of voters are familiar with gerrymandering, and 41%, a plurality, believe both parties engage in it equally.
60% of voters support a national ban on gerrymandering, including a majority across political parties and two-thirds of voters who are familiar with it.
52% of voters believe Democrats would support a national ban on gerrymandering, while the same percentage believe Republicans would oppose it.
60% of voters believe political gerrymandering should be restricted by the courts (+4), including a majority across political parties.
65% of voters say race should not be used as a determining factor when drawing Congressional districts.
DOJ ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND SEES SPLIT SUPPORT
75% of voters say there has been unfair targeting and prosecution of Americans by the federal government for political motives in recent years, including a majority across political parties.
55% of voters think the U.S. government should set up a fund to reimburse Americans who are found to be unfairly targeted. 39%, a plurality, say courts should make the determination of who has been unfairly targeted.
55% of voters have heard of Trump's Anti-Weaponization Fund. 51% say it is a necessary measure, while 49% believe it is a political slush fund.
44% of voters, a plurality, are more supportive of the Fund when told it is nonpartisan, but 49%, a plurality, are less supportive when told it will not be subject to oversight by a federal court.
50% of voters, a plurality, say January 6th defendants and Trump pardons should not be eligible for compensation from the Fund.
39% of voters, a plurality, say supporting the Fund makes them less likely to vote for a candidate for office, with 40%, a plurality, saying they want their representative to block it entirely.
MAJORITY OF VOTERS SEE ANTISEMITISM ON THE RISE
54% of voters believe antisemitism is on the rise in the U.S., with 84% saying there is a lot or some today. 82% of voters say it is important to eliminate it today.
55% of voters say antisemitism is coming from both the political left and right equally.
Voters are split on the effect of news media on antisemitism, with 40% believing news is promoting it, and 39% saying news has no effect on it. 44%, a plurality, believe universities have no effect on it.
70% of voters say the Democratic party should reject candidates that call for the destruction of Israel, including a majority across political parties.
STRONG MAJORITY BELIEVES U.S. IS WINNING WAR WITH IRAN; WOULD SUPPORT ANOTHER ROUND OF STRIKES FOR BETTER NEGOTIATIONS
72% of voters say the U.S. is winning the war with Iran.
74% of voters say Trump was right to agree to a ceasefire with Iran, and 68% believe the Iranians are working to buy time in their negotiations.
65% of voters think the U.S. should make Iran ending their nuclear program a non-negotiable condition for peace, and 54% say a pause is not enough to warrant preliminary settlement.
66% of voters think the U.S. has the upper hand in negotiations with Iran (+12).
59% of voters believe the president would be justified in another round of strikes to get the Iranians to negotiate more seriously if they were to fail to negotiate an end to their nuclear program.
62% of voters believe Iran was cheating on its nuclear deal and undertaking banned activities, and 69% think Iran is rebuilding its nuclear capability (+4).
57% of voters think the U.S. military strikes on Iran are justified (+3).
Voters are split 50-50 on whether the U.S. or Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. 75% say international free use of the Strait of Hormuz is a non-negotiable condition for peace.
51% of voters oppose Trump's handling of the Iran conflict so far.
39% of voters say Trump's Iran actions make them more likely to vote for a Democrat in the upcoming midterms, while 34% say they make them more likely to vote for a Republican.
MAJORITY OF VOTERS SUPPORT POLICY OF REGIME CHANGE TOWARD CUBA
49% of voters support Trump's policies toward Latin America.
75% of voters say that the government in Cuba is a dictatorship, and 66% say it is not supported by the people of Cuba.
70% of voters say the communist government in Cuba is an enemy of the U.S., including a majority across political parties.
51% of voters say the government of Cuba is a national security threat for the U.S., and 62% believe it supports criminal cartels and illicit activities.
57% of voters support Trump adopting a policy of regime change toward Cuba but are split 50-50 on support for U.S. military intervention.
78% of voters say they would not invest in Cuba today. 54% say they would invest if Cuba were a democracy and free market economy.
VOTERS SPLIT ON SUCCESS OF TRUMP'S TRIP TO CHINA
56% of voters say they have heard about President Trump's recent trip to China. 51% say it was successful.
48% of voters, a plurality, believe the U.S. received minor trade and political concessions from China.
50% of voters, a plurality, think Trump's treatment of China is about right (versus not tough enough or too tough).
The May Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on May 29-31, 2026, among 1,725 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX.
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
(D.Sanchez--TAG)
