If you want to know how any American is feeling these days, it depends on which media are feeding his or her world view, new polling shows.
In the first six months of his second term, President Donald Trump "has successfully driven the passage of sweeping, pro-growth tax reforms — widely regarded as a major legislative achievement," pollsters John McLaughlin and Jim McLaughlin wrote for Newsmax on July 23.
The McLaughlins' latest national survey of 1,000 likely voters (conducted July 9–14) reveals strong public support for Trump in the wake of these reforms.
"His job approval rating remains solid, Republicans lead in the generic congressional ballot, and optimism about the direction of the country is at its highest level since before the pandemic," the McLaughlins note. "A large majority supports key Trump policy stances, including the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants and preemptive strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities."
Despite all of Trump's domestic and foreign policy victories, however, his approval ratings still "face a ceiling," the report said.
The main reasons:
• A deeply divided political landscape – American voters now exist in two distinct political realities: pro-Trump and anti-Trump. Each camp consumes media within its own ideological echo chamber.
• Persistent media bias – The traditional media establishment continues to present a slanted, often hostile portrayal of the Trump presidency, regardless of the facts.
The Newsmax poll reflects this reality: Thirty-seven percent of voters reside in the pro-Trump media ecosystem, regularly consuming outlets like Newsmax and Fox News.
Meanwhile, 36% lean left, primarily watching CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and CNBC. The remaining 29% are largely disengaged from political media.
"If Fox and Newmax are the source, Trump is on a great run, scoring big wins. If it’s CNN and MSNBC, he is sinking under the weight of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal," the report noted.
Voter sentiment breaks down within these media audiences:
National Mood: Right Direction vs. Wrong Track – 42% to 50%
Right-leaning media viewers: 69% say right direction
Left-leaning media viewers: 30% say right direction
Non-engaged: Only 30% say right direction
Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 47%, Democrats 42%
Right-leaning media: 72% favor Republicans
Left-leaning media: 61% favor Democrats
Non-engaged: Lean slightly to Democrats, 46%-38%
Trump Job Approval: 52% Approve, 43% Disapprove
Right-leaning: 74% approve
Left-leaning: 56% disapprove
Non-engaged: Split, 44% approve to 49% disapprove
Economic Outlook: 40% Say It’s Getting Better, 53% Say Worse
Right-leaning: 64% optimistic
Left-leaning: 66% pessimistic
Non-engaged: 59% say worse
Support for Iran Strike: 58% Support, 33% Oppose
Right-leaning: 78% support
Left-leaning: 45% support
Non-engaged: 48% support
Meanwhile, a new Wall Street Journal poll puts Democrats at their lowest rating since 1990.
The poll shows 63% view the Democrat Party unfavorably, and just eight percent hold a very favorable view. The findings reflect a party increasingly seen as out of step with voters, with Republicans now preferred on nearly every major issue.
The poll indicates that voters trust Republicans over Democrats to handle inflation, tariffs, foreign policy, and most significantly immigration, where Republicans hold a staggering 24-point advantage.
Even among voters who disapprove of Trump’s approach to certain policies, the GOP is still favored to lead. For example, voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation by 11 points, yet trust Republicans over Democrats on inflation by 10. The pattern repeats across multiple issues, with voters essentially signaling: We may not love Trump, but we trust his party to govern.
“The Democrat brand is so bad that they don’t have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party,” said Democrat pollster John Anzalone, who co-conducted the survey. “Until they reconnect with real voters and working people on who they’re for and what their economic message is, they’re going to have problems.”
And Pew's latest poll shows a huge difference between how Gen Z women and Gen Z men identify politically.
Wild stuff.
Only 34% of men age 18-29 identify (lean) Democratic. For those keeping score that's 24-point gap btw. young men and women. That's as large as I've seen. https://t.co/sFaz8HuJ9n — Daniel Cox (@dcoxpolls) July 24, 2025
