Nearly two-thirds of American voters back President Trump’s policy of deporting illegal immigrants, according to a recent Fox News poll. The survey, released Thursday just two months into Trump’s second term, gauged public opinion on a wide range of the administration’s priorities—including tax policy, foreign affairs, and cultural issues.
Trump’s most widely supported policy was banning transgender-identified athletes from competing in women’s sports, with 68% of respondents in favor and just 30% opposed—a margin of more than 2 to 1. Other policies earning strong majorities included making English the official language (66%–32%), deporting illegal migrants (63%–35%), recognizing only two genders (54%–44%), and boosting fossil fuel production (53%–44%).
Some key Trump-era proposals proved more divisive. Slim majorities opposed major cuts to the federal workforce (51%–46%) and the elimination of federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs (51%–45%). While 57% of voters said much or nearly all federal spending is wasteful, an even larger share expressed concern about how Trump might carry out spending cuts. The president’s least popular policy, according to the poll, was his proposed annexation of Greenland.
“Trump’s more flamboyant ideas about expanding U.S. territories and holdings have limited public support, so much so that one wonders if they are simply designed to rattle some cages,” Daron Shaw, a Republican pollster who conducted the survey along with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, told Fox News. “But on some of his more specific cultural and social policies, there is substantial support across a broad range of constituencies.”
Some Democratic commentators have grappled with their opposition to Trump’s immigration platform despite its widespread popular support. “I think that, obviously, the president has kind of blanketed the airwaves, saying that all of these people being deported are criminals,” PBS White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López told CNN’s Dana Bash on Friday. Polling before Trump took office also showed majority support for deportations – a Harris poll from last April found that 51% of Americans supported mass deportation of illegals.
Support for President Trump’s tariff policies varied significantly depending on the country targeted. Since taking office, Trump has imposed tariff hikes on Mexico, Canada, and China—the United States’ three largest trading partners. A majority of voters (55%–44%) backed increased tariffs on China, widely seen as America’s chief geopolitical rival in the 21st century. However, support for tariffs on Mexico was noticeably weaker, with just 43% in favor and 56% opposed. Tariffs on Canada were the least popular, drawing support from only 38% of respondents, while 61% opposed them.
Trump’s overall approval rating in the poll registered at -2, with 49% approving of his job performance and 51% disapproving. Men were slightly more likely to support the president than women, with 50% of men approving compared to 47% of women. Among racial groups, 52% of white voters approved of Trump’s performance, compared to 44% of Hispanic voters and 29% of Black voters.