Fox News Poll Reveals Divided Public Opinion on Trump’s Agenda
A recent Fox News Poll, conducted after President Donald Trump’s first 60 days in office and the issuance of over 90 executive orders, paints a picture of a deeply divided American public regarding the president’s policy proposals. The survey, released on Thursday, offers insights into the popularity of various initiatives, revealing both areas of strong support and significant opposition.
One of the most striking findings of the poll is the overwhelming support for banning transgender women from women’s sports. A significant 68% of voters favor this policy, with only 30% opposed, resulting in a 38-point margin. This policy, formalized through an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" signed on February 5, resonates strongly with a substantial portion of the electorate.
The poll also indicates strong backing for making English the official language of the United States, with 66% in favor and 32% opposed. Deporting illegal immigrants also enjoys broad support, with 63% favoring the policy and 35% opposing it. A majority of voters (54%) also support the idea of the U.S. acknowledging only two genders, while 44% oppose this stance. Additionally, increasing drilling and oil production is favored by 53% of voters, with 44% expressing opposition.
However, the poll reveals a more divided public opinion on other aspects of Trump’s agenda. Reducing the number of federal employees is met with near-equal support and opposition, with 46% in favor and 51% opposed. Similarly, ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs elicits a mixed response, with 45% supporting the move and 51% opposing it.
The least popular proposals highlighted in the poll include initiatives such as taking over the Panama Canal (39% favor, 57% oppose), closing the Department of Education (32% favor, 65% oppose), renaming the Gulf of Mexico (31% favor, 67% oppose), and taking over Greenland (26% favor, 70% oppose). These more unconventional ideas appear to lack widespread public support.
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys alongside Democrat Chris Anderson, suggests that Trump’s more outlandish proposals might be intended to "rattle some cages." However, Shaw emphasizes that there is considerable support for Trump’s more specific cultural and social policies across a diverse range of constituencies.
The poll also sheds light on partisan divides regarding these policies. While Democrats largely oppose Trump’s policies and Republicans generally support them, the top three issues – banning transgender women from women’s sports, making English the official language, and deporting illegal immigrants – remain consistent across party lines. Notably, 43% of Democrats favor banning transgender women from women’s sports, while 90% of Republicans support this policy. Similarly, 39% of Democrats and 91% of Republicans favor making English the official language, and 35% of Democrats and 90% of Republicans support deporting illegal immigrants.
Despite the popularity of deporting illegal immigrants, the poll reveals that two-thirds of voters believe that any child born to an illegal immigrant within the U.S. should automatically become a U.S. citizen. This opinion enjoys strong support among Democrats (89%) and Independents (71%), as well as significant minority support among Republicans (44%). Furthermore, support for this measure has increased by 20 points compared to 15 years ago.
Attitudes toward closing the Department of Education are particularly polarized along partisan lines. Most Democrats (92%) and Independents (81%) oppose closing the department, while a majority of Republicans (63%) favor it.
The poll also highlights concerns about Trump’s use of executive actions. Nearly 7 in 10 voters are concerned that these actions may permanently alter the country’s system of checks and balances. This level of concern is similar to that expressed regarding former President Barack Obama’s use of executive actions in 2014.
Regarding tariffs, the poll indicates that voters generally view them negatively, believing that they are more likely to harm the U.S. economy (53% harm vs. 28% help) and make products more expensive (69% more vs. 7% less). While a majority of voters favor tariffs on products from China (55%), they oppose tariffs on products from Mexico (56%) or Canada (61%).
Finally, the poll reveals that a majority of voters believe that a great deal, or even almost all, government spending is wasteful (57%). However, they also rate Trump’s handling of the issue negatively (56% only fair or poor) and are concerned that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts (65%).
The Fox News survey, conducted between March 14-17, 2025, involved interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. The survey was conducted under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The margin of sampling error for the full sample is ±3 percentage points. Weights are applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population.
