DECEMBER HARVARD CAPS / HARRIS POLL: TRUMP APPROVAL RATING RESETS TO 47% POST-SHUTDOWN; AFFORDABILITY AND INFLATION TOP ECONOMIC WORRIES HEADING INTO 2026

62% OF VOTERS SAY REPUBLICANS WON THE SHUTDOWN FIGHT, AND 68% APPROVE OF THE DEAL THAT ENDED IT

55% TRUST TRUMP AND THE GOP TO MANAGE THE ECONOMY, 10 POINTS AHEAD OF THE DEMOCRATS, YET MOST VOTERS THINK TRUMP IS LOSING THE BATTLE ON INFLATION

59% SAY INFLATION AND COST OF LIVING MATTERS MOST TO THEM WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE ECONOMY

MOST VOTERS MISINFORMED ON THE ECONOMY WITH MAJORITY SAYING ECONOMY IS SHRINKING AND 71% OVERESTIMATING INFLATION

72% OF VOTERS SUPPORT THE GRANTING OF H1-B VISAS

85% SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF MADURO FROM VENEZUELAN OFFICE

78% SUPPORT TRUMP'S 21-POINT PEACE PLAN FOR ISRAEL-GAZA, BUT 68% WORRY HAMAS IS NOW REARMING

64% OF VOTERS SAY UKRAINE SHOULD RECEIVE DIRECT SECURITY GUARANTEES FROM THE U.S. IF IT MAKES TERRITORIAL CONCERSSIONS

NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) today released the results of the December Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.

President Donald Trump's approval rating is at 47%, up 3 points from November. The bump is reflected across each policy issue. Trump's job approval is highest on fighting crime in U.S. cities (51%) and returning America to its values (50%), and lowest on handling inflation (40%) and tariffs and trade policy (42%). This month's poll also covered public opinion on the government shutdown, economy, H1-B visas, drug boat strikes, Israel-Hamas conflict, war in Ukraine, and Venezuela. Download the key results here.

"This poll is a clear bounce back from the government shutdown when attitudes of the American public were really going off of a cliff," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. "But the concern for inflation – and what's perceived as the administration's failure to deal with it – is the dominant thing weighing down the administration. The State of the Union will be an important opportunity for the President to address some of these issues."

GENERAL ATTITUDES REVERSE TO PRE-SHUTDOWN LEVELS

• 39% of voters say the country is on the right track (+4 pts., November 2025).
• 47% of voters say the U.S. economy is strong (+4).
• The Republican Party approval rating is at 46% (+2), while the Democratic Party approval rating is at 41% (-2). Congressional approval is at 35% (+8).
• 47% of voters say inflation or affordability is the most important issue to them personally, including a majority across political parties.
• Inflation and the economy remain the top two most important issues facing the country today, followed by healthcare.

MOST TRUMP POLICIES CONTINUE TO SEE MAJORITY SUPPORT

• Most of Trump's policies continue to see majority support. His most popular policies are lowering prescription drug prices (86% support), deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes (80%), eliminating fraud in government expenditures (77%), and launching government website to buy discounted drugs directly from manufacturers (70%), with each receiving two-thirds support or more across political parties.
• Trump's least popular policies include adding work requirements to Medicaid programs (43%), deploying the National Guard to American cities (51%), and tariffs (52%).
• 55% of voters say Trump's policies will increase inflation (Democrats: 78%; Republicans: 30%; Independents: 59%).
• 43% of voters, a plurality, say Trump's policies will make them financially worse off.

VOTERS VERY NEGATIVE ON SHUTDOWN, APPROVING OF COMPROMISE AND MORE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH MODERATES IN THE FUTURE

• 62% of voters say Republicans won the government shutdown. Voters are split on which party caused the shutdown.
• 85% of voters say the shutdown hurt the U.S. economy.
• 46% of voters say the recent government shutdown affected them personally.
• 71% of voters say moderate Democrats made the right call to end the shutdown (Democrats: 59%; Republicans: 83%; Independents: 71%), and 68% of voters approve of the compromise that ended the shutdown.
• 77% of voters say leaders should negotiate more through moderates like those who backed the deal that ended the shutdown, including a majority across political parties.

DESPITE TRUSTING TRUMP AND GOP OVER DEMOCRATS TO HANDLE THE ECONOMY, MAJORITY STILL SEE TRUMP LOSING BATTLE AGAINST INFLATION

• 55% of voters say they trust the Trump administration and Republicans to manage the economy over Democrats in Congress (+6 pts., November 2025).
• 71% of voters say inflation is above 3% a year right now, including a majority across political parties, with the median estimate among both Democrats and Independents at 5% and 4% among Republicans.
• 57% of voters say Trump is losing the battle against inflation, and 56% say his tariff policies are harming the economy.
• 57% of voters say the economy is shrinking (-5; Democrats: 77%; Republicans: 31%; Independents: 64%).

VOTERS PERCEIVE THE LAST TIME THE ECONOMY WAS "GOOD" WAS PRE-PANDEMIC 2020

• 48% of voters, a strong plurality across political parties, say the economy was last "good" in 2020 before the pandemic.
• Price of groceries or household items is the top influence on voters' views of the economy in the past three months (79%), followed by gas prices (55%) and personal financial situation (39%).
• 59% of voters say inflation or cost of living matters most to them when thinking about the state of the economy.
• 49% of voters say stories about the economy are negative (incl. the majority of Democrats and Independents), while 23% of voters say they are positive (incl. the plurality of Republicans).
• Voters are more likely to trust than distrust statements on the economy from government economic agencies and the Federal Reserve.
• After learning inflation has been below 3% since October 2023, 44% of voters, a plurality, say the new information improves their view on the economy, with 45% of voters saying they thought inflation was higher.

BROAD SUPPORT FOR H1-B VISAS

• 72% of voters support the granting of H-1B visas, including a strong majority across political parties.
• 54% of voters say H-1B visas do not cost Americans jobs (Democrats: 61%; Republicans: 45%; Independents: 56%).
• 64% of voters say H-1B visas help America become more innovative, including a majority across political parties.
• 61% of voters say there will always be a need for specialized talent from abroad, including a majority across political parties.

INCREASING SUPPORT FOR MADURO'S REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

• 64% of voters say Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should be removed from office. When given context of Maduro's election fraud and narco-terrorism indictment, 85% of voters say he should be removed, including a majority across political parties (+4).
• Among those who support Maduro's removal, 76% say the U.S. should arrest Maduro and take him to the U.S. to face trial (+3).
• 54% of voters generally support Trump's policy toward South and Latin America.
• 74% of voters say Maduro's government is an enemy of the U.S., and 64% say it is an ally of China and Russia. 71% of voters believe it supports criminal cartels and illicit activities.

BROAD RECOGNITION FOR DRUG OVERDOSE AS A MAJOR PROBLEM, WITH TWO-THIRDS OF VOTERS IN SUPPORT OF U.S. DESTROYING DRUG BOATS

• 67% of voters say they support the US government destroying boats bringing drugs into the US from South America. 63% believe the boats are appropriately targeted for destruction.
• 65% of voters believe the Venezuelan government is participating in the drug trade, including a majority across political parties.
• 77% of voters say deaths from drug overdoses are a major problem, including a majority across political parties. 64% say drug-related deaths are deadlier than gun violence (Democrats: 50%; Republicans: 77%; Independents: 66%).
• 54% of voters say the U.S. military was wrong to launch the second missile that may have killed survivors, with voters split on whether this is a major incident or blown up for political purposes.

MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S PEACE PLAN, BUT VOTERS WORRY HAMAS IS REARMING

• 70% of voters support Trump's deal to secure the safe return of Israeli hostages and end hostilities in Gaza, including a majority across political parties and age groups.
• 68% of voters support Trump's 21-point peace plan for Gaza. When given more details about the plan, 78% support it. 58% of voters say the peace plan played a large role in ending the war.
• 78% of voters say any deal should require Hamas to completely disarm and disband (+4). However, 68% of voters believe Hamas is rearming, including a majority across political parties.
• 59% of voters say there is still a lot of active fighting in Gaza on the ground.
• 69% of voters believe Iran is rebuilding its nuclear capability.
• 48% of voters, a plurality, say Arab governments should be responsible for ensuring Hamas disarms and disbands, while 33% say the U.S. should be responsible and 20% say Israel.

VOTERS BACK U.S. SECURITY GUARANTEES IF UKRAINE COMPROMISES

• 56% of voters say Ukraine making territorial concessions to Russia will allow the country and the world to move forward in peace and end the bloodshed. Voters remain split on whether Ukraine should concede or if it can win territory back.
• 64% of voters say Ukraine should receive direct security guarantees from the U.S. if it makes concessions to end the war with Russia.
• 53% of voters say they are satisfied with how Trump is managing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
• 65% of voters say the Trump administration should continue to provide weapons to Ukraine and impose further economic sanctions on Russia, including a majority across political parties.

The December Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on December 2-4, 2025, among 2,204 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. 

About The Harris Poll & HarrisX

The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.

HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in the U.S. and over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies

The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics.  Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.

Contact:

Carrie Hsu

[email protected]  

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