Latest news with #ScottBland
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down new poll numbers that show the world's views shifting on China and the economy. Plus, Sahil Kapur examines how Republican members of Congress are hate-voting for certain pieces of legislation. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China Analysis by Scott Bland President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House has coincided with some sharp changes in allied countries' assessments of the importance of Chinese economic ties. That's according to new data from surveys conducted in 25 countries by the Pew Research Center. Pew notes that the changing attitudes also reflect a rebound from low points in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in China. But the data also demonstrates how Trump's presidency and his trade agenda have sharply shifted public opinion in other nations — shifts that could have far-reaching effects for years. In particular, Pew asked whether it was more important for each country surveyed to have close economic ties with the U.S. or China. Generally, the share of respondents choosing China has grown in recent years, while the United States' share has shrunk. But two nations in particular stand out. There's Australia, which this week is hosting military exercises meant to signal strength against China. This year, Australian respondents said 53%-42% that having closer economic ties with China is more important. Four years ago, that was reversed — 52%-39% toward the U.S. And then there's Mexico, one of the biggest U.S. trading partners. Mexican survey respondents have long recognized the importance of the trade relationship with the U.S., but amid the back-and-forth on tariffs this year, they split on whether ties with the U.S. or China were more important. These opinions have shifted over time, and there's no telling where they'll go in the future. But as the U.S. tries to shift its trade policy and tries to counter China geopolitically, these surveys offer some early evidence of backlash in one realm that could affect the other. Republicans keep voting for bills they say they don't like By Sahil Kapur There's a new trend in Congress that has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term: Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum keep voting for bills they have publicly criticized. In some cases, GOP members of Congress have explicitly threatened to vote 'no' on bills they say are deeply flawed before eventually folding and voting 'yes.' In others, they warn bills they have voted for will require fixing down the road. A few notable examples: Medicaid: Two weeks after voting to pass a sweeping domestic policy bill that cuts Medicaid by about $1 trillion, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to repeal some of those cuts. 'Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a statement. Hawley said he feared the party's megabill would cause long-term harm if the Medicaid cuts are fully implemented, but still voted for it because it will deliver more hospital money for Missouri in the first four years. 'You can't get everything you want in one piece of legislation. I like a lot of what we did. I don't like some of it,' he told reporters after unveiling his own measure on Tuesday. National debt: Nowhere has this dynamic been more pronounced than with the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have repeatedly threatened to oppose bills before acquiescing under pressure from Trump. With Trump's megabill, they complained about red ink: It's expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 'What the Senate did is unconscionable,' Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said in a Rules Committee meeting, vowing that 'I'll vote against it here and I'll vote against it on the floor.' He ultimately voted for that bill, unamended, after conservatives were told Congress would consider future bills to lower the debt. Rescissions: And in the run-up to the votes on a package to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, several Republicans expressed serious concerns with its substance, its deference to the executive branch and the damage it could do to bipartisan dealmaking on government funding in the future. 'I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret. Some second- and third-order effects. And I suspect that when we do, we'll have to come back and fix it,' said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before voting in favor of the bill. Bottom line: It isn't unusual for lawmakers to back legislation they call imperfect. But this year, that contrast has become more stark. It comes as Trump has solidified his grasp over the GOP base, resulting in lawmakers growing increasingly leery of crossing him and risking their political futures. Read more from Sahil → ✉️ Mailbag: Could Democrats undo the 'big, beautiful bill'? Thanks to everyone who emailed us! This week's reader question is on the future of the megabill President Donald Trump signed into law. 'If the Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress how much of the Republicans bill can they change?' In theory, Democrats could change much, if not all, of what's in the new tax cut and spending law if they were in power in Washington, using the same party-line 'budget reconciliation' process Republicans just utilized. But they won't be in that position for a while — and they may not want to completely do away with the sweeping package. Let's start with the first point. Given Republicans' tiny majority in the chamber and the usual headwinds the party in power faces during a midterm, Democrats have a good shot at winning the control of the House next year. But the Senate is a different story. As we've written, Democrats face an uphill climb to the majority in 2026, and the 2028 map doesn't look much more favorable, with the number of states splitting their presidential and Senate tickets dwindling. Then of course, even if Democrats manage to take control of both chambers of Congress, they won't have an opportunity at the White House until 2028. As for the second point, there are a lot of aspects of the 'big, beautiful bill' Democrats would like to reverse, most notably the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. But there are others, such as 'no tax on tips,' that have garnered support from Democrats. And while Democrats support increasing the current tax rates on the top earners, they wouldn't want the 2017 tax cuts that the law extends to completely expire. That would mean tax hikes on middle- and lower-income Americans, too. 🗞️ Today's other top stories ✉️ Epstein fallout: Trump took legal action less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman. The Justice Department also filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case in Manhattan federal court. 📻 Stations in limbo: After Congress approved a package to cut funding for PBS and NPR, media advocates fear that local public broadcasters will be forced to downsize or shutter, which could have an outsize impact on rural areas. Read more → 🩺 Health care hikes: People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could soon see their monthly premiums sharply increase as subsidies expire and insurers propose a major premium hike for 2026. Read more → 🪙 Crypto crunch: Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the first piece of federal legislation regulating stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, into law after it passed through Congress with bipartisan support. Read more → 🤠 Texas two-step: Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was set to travel to Houston today to meet with Texas Democrats to discuss how to fight back against Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps. Read more → 🌴 Palmetto State dispatch: In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the South Carolina, a key presidential primary state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. Read more → 🎥 End of an era: 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will broadcast its final show in May, CBS said, adding that it's not continuing the franchise. Read more → Follow live politics updates → That's all From the Politics Desk for now. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Dylan Ebs. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@ And if you're a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down new poll numbers that show the world's views shifting on China and the economy. Plus, Sahil Kapur examines how Republican members of Congress are hate-voting for certain pieces of legislation. — Adam Wollner As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China Analysis by Scott Bland President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House has coincided with some sharp changes in allied countries' assessments of the importance of Chinese economic ties. That's according to new data from surveys conducted in 25 countries by the Pew Research Center. Pew notes that the changing attitudes also reflect a rebound from low points in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in China. But the data also demonstrates how Trump's presidency and his trade agenda have sharply shifted public opinion in other nations — shifts that could have far-reaching effects for years. In particular, Pew asked whether it was more important for each country surveyed to have close economic ties with the U.S. or China. Generally, the share of respondents choosing China has grown in recent years, while the United States' share has shrunk. But two nations in particular stand out. There's Australia, which this week is hosting military exercises meant to signal strength against China. This year, Australian respondents said 53%-42% that having closer economic ties with China is more important. Four years ago, that was reversed — 52%-39% toward the U.S. And then there's Mexico, one of the biggest U.S. trading partners. Mexican survey respondents have long recognized the importance of the trade relationship with the U.S., but amid the back-and-forth on tariffs this year, they split on whether ties with the U.S. or China were more important. These opinions have shifted over time, and there's no telling where they'll go in the future. But as the U.S. tries to shift its trade policy and tries to counter China geopolitically, these surveys offer some early evidence of backlash in one realm that could affect the other. Republicans keep voting for bills they say they don't like By Sahil Kapur There's a new trend in Congress that has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term: Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum keep voting for bills they have publicly criticized. In some cases, GOP members of Congress have explicitly threatened to vote 'no' on bills they say are deeply flawed before eventually folding and voting 'yes.' In others, they warn bills they have voted for will require fixing down the road. A few notable examples: Medicaid: Two weeks after voting to pass a sweeping domestic policy bill that cuts Medicaid by about $1 trillion, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to repeal some of those cuts. 'Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a statement. Hawley said he feared the party's megabill would cause long-term harm if the Medicaid cuts are fully implemented, but still voted for it because it will deliver more hospital money for Missouri in the first four years. 'You can't get everything you want in one piece of legislation. I like a lot of what we did. I don't like some of it,' he told reporters after unveiling his own measure on Tuesday. National debt: Nowhere has this dynamic been more pronounced than with the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have repeatedly threatened to oppose bills before acquiescing under pressure from Trump. With Trump's megabill, they complained about red ink: It's expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 'What the Senate did is unconscionable,' Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said in a Rules Committee meeting, vowing that 'I'll vote against it here and I'll vote against it on the floor.' He ultimately voted for that bill, unamended, after conservatives were told Congress would consider future bills to lower the debt. Rescissions: And in the run-up to the votes on a package to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, several Republicans expressed serious concerns with its substance, its deference to the executive branch and the damage it could do to bipartisan dealmaking on government funding in the future. 'I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret. Some second- and third-order effects. And I suspect that when we do, we'll have to come back and fix it,' said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before voting in favor of the bill. Bottom line: It isn't unusual for lawmakers to back legislation they call imperfect. But this year, that contrast has become more stark. It comes as Trump has solidified his grasp over the GOP base, resulting in lawmakers growing increasingly leery of crossing him and risking their political futures. Thanks to everyone who emailed us! This week's reader question is on the future of the megabill President Donald Trump signed into law. 'If the Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress how much of the Republicans bill can they change?' In theory, Democrats could change much, if not all, of what's in the new tax cut and spending law if they were in power in Washington, using the same party-line 'budget reconciliation' process Republicans just utilized. But they won't be in that position for a while — and they may not want to completely do away with the sweeping package. Let's start with the first point. Given Republicans' tiny majority in the chamber and the usual headwinds the party in power faces during a midterm, Democrats have a good shot at winning the control of the House next year. But the Senate is a different story. As we've written, Democrats face an uphill climb to the majority in 2026, and the 2028 map doesn't look much more favorable, with the number of states splitting their presidential and Senate tickets dwindling. Then of course, even if Democrats manage to take control of both chambers of Congress, they won't have an opportunity at the White House until 2028. As for the second point, there are a lot of aspects of the 'big, beautiful bill' Democrats would like to reverse, most notably the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. But there are others, such as ' no tax on tips,' that have garnered support from Democrats. And while Democrats support increasing the current tax rates on the top earners, they wouldn't want the 2017 tax cuts that the law extends to completely expire. That would mean tax hikes on middle- and lower-income Americans, too. 🗞️ Today's other top stories ✉️ Epstein fallout: Trump took legal action less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman. The Justice Department also filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case in Manhattan federal court. 📻 Stations in limbo: After Congress approved a package to cut funding for PBS and NPR, media advocates fear that local public broadcasters will be forced to downsize or shutter, which could have an outsize impact on rural areas. Read more → 🩺 Health care hikes: People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could soon see their monthly premiums sharply increase as subsidies expire and insurers propose a major premium hike for 2026. Read more → 🪙 Crypto crunch: Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the first piece of federal legislation regulating stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, into law after it passed through Congress with bipartisan support. Read more → 🤠 Texas two-step: Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was set to travel to Houston today to meet with Texas Democrats to discuss how to fight back against Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps. Read more → 🌴 Palmetto State dispatch: In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the South Carolina, a key presidential primary state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. Read more →
NBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
3 takeaways from the NBC News Decision Desk poll: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down the key findings from the new NBC News Decision Desk poll. Plus, we have the latest updates from the Israel-Iran conflict and the Minnesota shooting. — Adam Wollner 3 takeaways from our new poll By Scott Bland The new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey out this weekend painted a vivid picture of where Donald Trump's presidency stands right now — and where it's going in the near future. Here are three takeaways from the numbers. There's a reason why the White House wants to focus on immigration, though it's still a divisive issue. Trump's overall approval rating among U.S. adults stands at 45% approve, 55% disapprove — the same as in April. The survey also tested views of how Trump is handling a number of issues, with negative verdicts on all except immigration and border security. (The poll was mostly conducted before Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles in response to protests over ICE raids there.) But while immigration is where Trump's standing is strongest, the public is still split over his handling of the issue: 51% approve, 49% disapprove. And other polling has shown big variations in those numbers when people are asked specifics about immigration, the border and deportations. A Republican divide over priorities in the 'big, beautiful bill.' When we broke down one question on Trump's legislative agenda by partisan affiliation, one practically even split stood out: 40% of Republicans said their most important priority in the massive domestic policy bill is reducing national debt, while 39% said continuing and expanding Trump's tax cuts was most important. That mirrors the argument happening among a handful of Republican senators right now that could be critical for how the final bill comes together. Both parties get bad grades on honesty. Americans, especially independents, have a dim view of politicians' honesty right now. And the ratings aren't particularly great even when people are considering their own party, either. It's one big reason why we're seeing political instability, division, anti-incumbent sentiment and a thirst for outsiders or new voices not just in the U.S. but in elections around the world. And that's a key factor to keep in mind as we approach primaries in 2026 — and 2028. How Trump went from opposing Israel's strikes on Iran to reluctant support By Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold, Carol E. Lee and Katherine Doyle President Donald Trump had opposed Israeli military action against Iran, favoring negotiations over bombing. But in the days before the strikes began, he became convinced that Israel's heightened anxiety over Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities was warranted. After a pivotal briefing from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, on Israel's plans and U.S. options for supporting its operation, he gave tacit approval to Israel to have at it and decided to provide limited U.S. backing. When Caine briefed him on June 8, Trump was increasingly frustrated with Iran for not responding to the latest proposal for a nuclear deal. He still remained hopeful that his Middle East peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who had been scheduled to conduct another round of peace talks in the region Sunday, could soon get an agreement over the line. Trump was also facing private pressure from longtime allies who advocate more isolationist policies and wanted him to stop Israel from taking military action or at least withhold U.S. support for any such operation. This account of Trump's thinking leading up to the Israeli operation is based on interviews with five current U.S. officials and two Middle Eastern officials, as well as two people with knowledge of the deliberations, two former U.S officials familiar with the deliberations and a Trump ally. Suspect who terrorized Minnesota's political leaders after deadly shooting has been arrested By Dennis Romero The suspect wanted in the slaying of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as in the shooting of a state senator and his wife, was found Sunday night armed and crawling in a field in a sparsely populated stretch of Minnesota, authorities said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Vance Boelter's capture at a news conference after saying Saturday that the suspect's alleged crimes included a 'politically motivated assassination.' Despite being armed, authorities said, Boelter was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported. 'After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended' the alleged shooter, Walz said. 'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' he added. Boelter is in custody and is now facing state and federal charges in connection with the Saturday slaying of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, authorities said.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The deep divisions defining American politics: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy St. Patrick's Day! In today's edition, Scott Bland dives into the stark dividing lines revealed by our first NBC News poll of the year. Plus, Curtis Bunn reports on how the Tesla is no longer the status symbol on the left that it once was. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner Election results change who holds power, and they change the course of history. But they don't always change minds, at least in the short term. That's a major takeaway from the latest national NBC News poll, which finds, across dozens of questions, that the U.S. remains as closely and knottily divided on President Donald Trump and many key issues as it did before the November's election. Consider the questions on one of the centers of the action in the Trump administration: the Department of Government Efficiency. Asked whether 'government should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people' or whether 'government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals,' 56% choose 'should do more,' while 42% say government 'is doing too many things.' But at the same time, voters are open to the idea of finding cuts and greater efficiency in government: 46% say establishing DOGE was a good idea, while 40% say it was a bad idea (and the remainder say they have no opinion or aren't sure). And at the same time as that, 47% say they view DOGE negatively, compared to 41% who view it positively. And there's a degree of hesitancy about what DOGE has actually done so far — as well as a degree of willingness to support it even more, depending on what happens. One-third of voters say it should continue operating as is, another 28% say 'it is needed but should slow down to assess the impact,' and another third say 'it is reckless and should stop now.' Divisions like these are in evidence throughout the poll — and, indeed, all throughout the U.S. Trump's approval rating is as high as he's ever had as president, but a majority of registered voters still disapprove. Democrats and Republicans are essentially tied in an early 2026 midterm election ballot test, but views of the Democratic Party are as negative as they've ever been, driven in part by fed-up Democrats. And while the nation has come around on Trump's immigration policies, at least so far, he's getting negative scores on other issues, including his handling of the economy, which has always been a bring spot in his numbers as president. Check out the full poll here. More from the NBC News poll: Most Americans are rooting for Ukraine. But nearly half think Trump prefers Russia, by Ben Kamisar What to know from the Trump presidency today A federal judge is hearing arguments on the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people accused of being members of a Venezuelan gang. A professor at Brown University's medical school, who was sent back to Lebanon last week despite having a valid visa, allegedly told customs agents that she had attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Department of Homeland Security said. Trump warned this morning that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels will be 'met with great force' if they continue to launch attacks in the Middle East and that Iran would be held accountable. The comments came after he ordered a series of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday. Trump claimed, without citing any evidence, that former President Joe Biden's pardons for the members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot are not valid because Biden signed them by 'autopen.' National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC that there will be 'some uncertainty' in the economy stemming from Trump's tariff policies. Chinese state media are celebrating Trump's move to gut Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded news outlets that push back against authoritarian regimes. During a tour of the Kennedy Center, Trump said his administration will release 'all of the Kennedy files' tomorrow, about 80,000 pages of records related to President John F. Kennedy's was not enough for Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to announce that he had gotten rid of his Tesla. He did it on X, the social media platform headed by Elon Musk, who took over as CEO of the electric vehicle company in 2008. Kelly made his reason for abandoning the car that one time represented progress and automotive and environmental achievement clear: Musk and his politics. 'Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country,' Kelly posted. Other well-known figures outside the political realm have recently dumped their Teslas as well, including actor Jason Bateman and musician Sheryl Crow. Musk's connection to President Donald Trump and the emergence of the Department of Government Efficiency and its vast federal government job cuts were the tipping points for many progressives who owned their once-beloved groundbreaking vehicles, as Tesla remains the top-selling electric car in the country. Read more →🎤 Exclusive interview: Vice President JD Vance acknowledged in an interview with Henry J. Gomez that Elon Musk has made 'mistakes' while executing mass firings of federal employees and emphasized that he believes there are 'a lot of good people who work in the government.' Read more → 👀 Trump 2.0: Peter Nicholas writes that public humiliation has often been the cost of being in Trump's crosshairs as he seeks to swiftly implement his agenda. Read more → 🏠 Working from home: Federal workers who were ordered to return to the office full time see some irony in the amount of time Trump has spent working (and golfing) in Florida. Read more → 📖 Schumer shutdown fallout: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is postponing several events to promote his new book as he faces backlash from his own party on his decision to advance a GOP funding bill last week. Read more → 📺 Schumer shutdown fallout, cont.: Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told 'Meet the Press' that he still supports Schumer as the party's leader in the Senate but added that Democrats should change their tactics. Read more → That's all From the Politics Desk for now. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at And if you're a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up . This article was originally published on
NBC News
17-03-2025
- Business
- NBC News
The deep divisions defining American politics: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy St. Patrick's Day! In today's edition, Scott Bland dives into the stark dividing lines revealed by our first NBC News poll of the year. Plus, Curtis Bunn reports on how the Tesla is no longer the status symbol on the left that it once was. — Adam Wollner The deep divisions defining American politics By Scott Bland Election results change who holds power, and they change the course of history. But they don't always change minds, at least in the short term. That's a major takeaway from the latest national NBC News poll, which finds, across dozens of questions, that the U.S. remains as closely and knottily divided on President Donald Trump and many key issues as it did before the November's election. Consider the questions on one of the centers of the action in the Trump administration: the Department of Government Efficiency. Asked whether 'government should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people' or whether 'government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals,' 56% choose 'should do more,' while 42% say government 'is doing too many things.' But at the same time, voters are open to the idea of finding cuts and greater efficiency in government: 46% say establishing DOGE was a good idea, while 40% say it was a bad idea (and the remainder say they have no opinion or aren't sure). And at the same time as that, 47% say they view DOGE negatively, compared to 41% who view it positively. And there's a degree of hesitancy about what DOGE has actually done so far — as well as a degree of willingness to support it even more, depending on what happens. One-third of voters say it should continue operating as is, another 28% say 'it is needed but should slow down to assess the impact,' and another third say 'it is reckless and should stop now.' Divisions like these are in evidence throughout the poll — and, indeed, all throughout the U.S. Trump's approval rating is as high as he's ever had as president, but a majority of registered voters still disapprove. Democrats and Republicans are essentially tied in an early 2026 midterm election ballot test, but views of the Democratic Party are as negative as they've ever been, driven in part by fed-up Democrats. And while the nation has come around on Trump's immigration policies, at least so far, he's getting negative scores on other issues, including his handling of the economy, which has always been a bring spot in his numbers as president. Check out the full poll here. What to know from the Trump presidency today A federal judge is hearing arguments on the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people accused of being members of a Venezuelan gang. A professor at Brown University's medical school, who was sent back to Lebanon last week despite having a valid visa, allegedly told customs agents that she had attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Department of Homeland Security said. Trump warned this morning that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels will be 'met with great force' if they continue to launch attacks in the Middle East and that Iran would be held accountable. The comments came after he ordered a series of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday. Trump claimed, without citing any evidence, that former President Joe Biden's pardons for the members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot are not valid because Biden signed them by 'autopen.' National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC that there will be 'some uncertainty' in the economy stemming from Trump's tariff policies. Chinese state media are celebrating Trump's move to gut Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded news outlets that push back against authoritarian regimes. During a tour of the Kennedy Center, Trump said his administration will release 'all of the Kennedy files' tomorrow, about 80,000 pages of records related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The Tesla is no longer a progressive status symbol By Curtis Bunn It was not enough for Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to announce that he had gotten rid of his Tesla. He did it on X, the social media platform headed by Elon Musk, who took over as CEO of the electric vehicle company in 2008. Kelly made his reason for abandoning the car that one time represented progress and automotive and environmental achievement clear: Musk and his politics. 'Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country,' Kelly posted. Other well-known figures outside the political realm have recently dumped their Teslas as well, including actor Jason Bateman and musician Sheryl Crow. Musk's connection to President Donald Trump and the emergence of the Department of Government Efficiency and its vast federal government job cuts were the tipping points for many progressives who owned their once-beloved groundbreaking vehicles, as Tesla remains the top-selling electric car in the country.
