Can Americans Handle the MAGA Medicine?

If it doesn’t kill you…

A flood of polls heralds bad news for Donald Trump’s nascent second presidential term. Yet a wider aperture view suggests Americans are largely satisfied with the direction the country is going. Could this be a case of voters willingly swallowing the MAGA medicine while still grimacing at the sour taste of the political remedies?

Headlines Galore!

The decade-long relationship between the Fourth Estate and President Trump has been one of co-dependency, each thriving off the others’ barbs. Indeed, a brief perusal of the headlines from this week offers the following:

The New York Times: Above the digital fold, eight out of 13 stories are about Trump. Unsurprisingly, each offers a negative spin on one aspect of his administration or another. Notably, there is one article (outside of the eight) titled “Trump’s Single Stroke of Brilliance.” This story offers somewhat backhanded credit for his administration’s energy, while at the same time portraying such endeavors as akin to Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro – hardly complimentary.

CNN: The cable network’s digital politics page devotes a staggering 17 out of 19 top-of-page articles to denigrating some aspect of the Trump White House and its policy platforms. One might wonder if this news staple is even aware that another party exists.

The Washington Post: Nine out of 12 above-the-fold digital offerings from DC’s most prominent paper are focused on Trump and his administration. Two of these are, proving that there are always exceptions, not headline bait for TDS sufferers. Yet both still manage to portray the commander-in-chief as corrupt.

Americans who consume a media diet only of the dominant legacy outlets would understandably come away with the idea that the administration is in a freefall situation the likes of which never before witnessed – and, ultimately, that the nation is dog tired of presidential shenanigans. But a little research goes a long way in disrupting dominant narratives.

The Maga Medicine

Let’s consider the top issues in the country today and examine just what Americans make of Trump’s approach.

Illegal Immigration: The story of El Salvadorian native Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who has been deported to his home country, is a top shelf item right now. Multiple congressional Democrats have hoisted his plight as their flag and are determined to ride the associated coverage all the way to the 2026 midterms. But what does the polling show regarding Trump’s aggressive stance on deportations?

In late March, Pew Research Center released a poll demonstrating that 83% of Americans think at least some illegal migrants should be deported (32% say “all” and 51% say “some”), against just 16% who say “none” should be sent home. Of the 51% who say “some,” a whopping 97% agree that those who have committed violent crimes should get the Trump treatment. Similar figures are replicated across multiple surveys.

A number of congressional Democrats appear to be taking quite literally the minority (16%) position. This is not an election-winning strategy, and yet if one relies on left-leaning media coverage, the narrative seems somewhat different.

Tariffs: Peaks and troughs in the stock market have ignited a firestorm of stories declaring the end of US economic dominance. While the calamitous prophecies have yet to transpire, polling demonstrates that Americans have deep concerns.

A Rasmussen Reports poll from early April (notably carried out in the midst of Trump’s tariff slinging) found that 52% disapprove of his tariff policy, against 43% who approve. So, maybe the doom and gloomers in the media have it right? Not so fast.

Digging deeper, only 21% consider keeping the stock market high a valuable enterprise, with “63% who say creating more jobs for American workers is more important.” And then there is another Rasmussen survey that finds 45% of voters think the government does not do enough to protect US workers – and throw in an extra 25% who think the current situation is about right.  Just 17% think the government does “too much.”

On issue after issue we find that the push back to Trump’s policy actions is a split between support and outright horror. And yet, for his policy aims, each issue is widely backed – pushing his opposition into the lower end of the traditional “80/20 split.”

Curing America?

The reality is that Americans appear to be enjoying the overall direction of the country in increasing numbers, but not necessarily the steps taken to get there. Akin to ripping away the Band-Aid, one must wonder just how much of the political pain has been factored into the 2026 midterm equation. If the discomfort has faded by the time voters prepare for casting their ballots, the received wisdom that the party in power generally loses congressional seats may be in for a wakeup call.

However, with legal challenges frustrating the MAGA medicine on issues like deportations, tariffs, and cutting the federal spending and workforce, each of these requires a course of treatment rather than a magic one-shot pill. If the patient is barely taking fluids when election day arrives, it could be over for Trump’s burgeoning movement.