The polls and passions of the USA.
Paul Begala, a former consultant to President Bill Clinton, described an executive order (EO) as “Stroke of the pen. Law of the land. Kinda cool.” It’s a position once emulated by Barack Obama, who famously said, “Where Congress isn’t acting, I’ll act on my own. I have got a pen, and I got a phone. And that is all I need.” Indeed, these orders have proven to be a president’s most powerful tool. However, recent polls suggest they might not be popular with the public.
Executive Oversight?
A recent brouhaha over allegations that a significant number of Joe Biden’s executive orders were signed by an autopen has exposed fault lines in public opinion. Fresh data from Napolitan News Service demonstrate that “45% of voters say executive orders signed by autopen should be dismissed as an unsigned order,” and that “Thirty-seven percent (37%) disagree, and think it should be accepted as a legitimate order.”
The numbers are similar for presidential pardons, with 44% believing that “pardons by President Biden should be considered null and void,” against just 39% who say they should hold. Rasmussen Reports finds that 54% “consider it likely that, when Biden was president, members of his White House staff used the autopen to sign documents without Biden’s knowledge or approval, including 38% who think it’s Very Likely.” This, however, is just the tip of the EO iceberg.
Respondents to the Napolitan poll were also asked, “Whenever any president issues an executive order, should Congress have the right to review it within 90 days and determine whether it should be allowed to stand or should be overturned?”
A whopping 62% agreed that Congress should have that right. Just 21% took the opposite view. Constitutionally, the executive branch is coequal with the legislative; if one could unilaterally overturn* the decision of the other, this could prove a major imbalance.
Further questions on the topic provide an interesting conundrum. One asks whether Trump’s EOs have gone too far, not far enough, or are about right. The results are 44%, 17%, and 30%, respectively, suggesting that 47% (a slim majority) are on board. However, another question seeks to find whether “these executive orders [have] been an effective way of quickly delivering on campaign promises, or are they an abuse of power to circumvent Congress?” The results here show that 47% think his orders have been an abuse of power, against 45% who feel they are the most effective way of delivering on his promises. It’s a strange juxtaposition; on the one hand, voters approve of the EOs to date but still feel they are an overreach of power.
Party Games
Two recent polls – one from CNN and the other from NBC – showed that the Democratic Party is suffering in terms of approval for its work in Congress (29% and 27%, respectively). A new survey from Fox News/Beacon Research echoes this dip but also has some surprising news for the GOP.
The poll hands Democrats just a 30% approval rating – its lowest score since 2014. For Republicans, however, the survey granted a 40% approval. Notably, this is the highest approval rating from a Fox poll since it began surveying in 2005. If Democrats have any hope of blunting GOP momentum going into the 2026 midterms, efforts need to start soon.
As the saying goes, the fish rots from the head. An Economist/YouGov poll demonstrates just how true this adage is:
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – Favorable 22% to Unfavorable 55%
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) – Favorable 27% to Unfavorable 36%
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) – Favorable 21% to Unfavorable 26%
- Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) – Favorable 32% to Unfavorable 38%
As you can see, all party leaders are underwater, but the spread is where it counts. GOP leadership is significantly less unpopular than its Democratic counterpart.
Polls and Policy Highlights
Beyond popularity for individuals and parties, a range of policy-based polls have been released in the last week. Here are a couple of the more interesting results:
- Protests Against Tesla – 53% approve and 39% oppose. Notably, 20% consider “vandalism” an appropriate form of protest (Rasmussen Reports).
- Deporting Violent Criminal Aliens – 89% approve of Trump’s measures (Washington Post/Ipsos).
And finally, it seems the betting markets are gearing up for 2028 already. The current favorites for the next POTUS are:
- Vice President JD Vance – 11/4 or a 26.7% probability
- Josh Shapiro (D-PA) – 9/1 or a 10% probability
- Gavin Newsom (D-CA) – 11/1 or an 8.3% probability
- Pete Buttigieg – 12/1 or a 7.7% probability
- Ron DeSantis (R-FL) – 13/1 or a 7.1% probability
We are still years away from the presidential election; so much can – and will – change, but tracking the momentum of the betting markets rarely proves a futile move.
*While the president can veto legislation that comes out of Congress, he can do so only if the vote is under a two-thirds majority.
Liberty Nation does not endorse candidates, campaigns, or legislation, and this presentation is no endorsement.
