Signed, Sealed, and Debated: Public Opinion on Trump’s Executive Orders

In recent weeks, President Trump’s executive orders have sparked a range of opinions across the country, with different policies drawing support or opposition depending on the issue and demographic group. From social topics to economic and international policies, public sentiment appears divided, revealing notable splits along political and demographic lines.

Social Policies

Overall

Public opinion on social policies (described below) leaned more favorable than unfavorable across all three measures. Specifically, 44% of respondents supported defining only two genders in federal policy, 37% favored banning transgender individuals from military service, and 36% supported the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal agencies. Although none of the policies achieved majority support, each garnered more approval than disapproval.

Gender

Gender played a significant role in shaping opinions on social policies, with notable differences in support between men and women. Men were significantly more supportive of all three social policies than women. For instance, 51% of men supported defining only two genders in federal policy compared to 38% of women. Similarly, 44% of men favored banning transgender individuals from military service, while only 30% of women agreed. The same 44% of men supported rescinding DEI policies, versus 29% of women. These gaps indicate clear divides in how men and women view social policy changes under the Trump administration.

Political Affiliation

Political affiliation played an even more significant role in shaping opinions on these policies. Republicans overwhelmingly supported them, with 72% in favor of recognizing only two genders in federal policy, 64% backing the ban on transgender military service, and 65% supporting the removal of DEI policies. By contrast, Democrats showed significantly lower approval, with just 23% supporting gender recognition policies, 19% approving of the transgender ban, and 16% favoring the rollback of DEI initiatives. Independents fell in between, with support ranging from 30% to 39%, but their views aligned more closely with Democrats than Republicans.

Age

Age also influenced opinions, though the gaps were not as stark as those seen by party affiliation. Younger respondents were generally less supportive of these policies, with just 30% of those aged 18-24 favoring the transgender military ban and DEI rollbacks. Support increased gradually with age, peaking at 39% for those 65 and older. Recognizing only two genders in federal policies saw a similar trend, with 34% support among the youngest group and 46% among those 45 and older. This pattern indicates that older Americans tended to support these social policy changes more than younger age groups.

Panel

Panel data further highlights key differences in sentiment. Panel P had the highest approval rates, with 54% supporting the recognition of only two genders in federal policy and 50% favoring rescinding DEI policies. In contrast, Panel Q showed the lowest approval levels, with only 26% supporting the transgender military ban and 20% favoring the removal of DEI policies, representing a 22—and 30-point difference from Panel P, respectively.

Economic & International Policies

Overall

Regarding international and economic policies, the overall public showed more mixed reactions. Support for mass deportation operations stood at 43%, higher than any other policy in this category. Tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China followed, with 34% of respondents in favor. Meanwhile, withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement each received only 31% support. In three of the four cases—withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, withdrawal from the WHO, and tariffs on imports, the unfavorable scores were higher than the favorability scores. This reflects a net negative sentiment. The exception was mass deportation operations, which had higher support than opposition.

Gender

Gender differences were also evident in views on economic and international policies. Men were consistently more supportive than women, with the largest gap appearing on mass deportation operations (50% of men vs. 37% of women). Similarly, 41% of men favored imposing tariffs, compared to 27% of women. The smallest gender divide was in withdrawing from the WHO, where support among men was 38%, while 25% of women approved.

Political Affiliation

Political affiliation showed stark contrasts in support for these policies. Republicans were the most supportive, with 73% favoring mass deportation operations, 60% backing tariffs, and 56% supporting withdrawal from the WHO. By contrast, Democrats overwhelmingly opposed these measures, with only 22% approving of mass deportation, 15% supporting tariffs, and just 14% in favor of withdrawing from the WHO or the Paris Climate Agreement. Independents generally leaned closer to Democrats, with support ranging from 26% to 38%.

Age

Age differences revealed a clear trend of increasing support for mass deportation with age, rising from 29% among those 18-24 to 46% among those 65 and older. Conversely, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement was consistently less popular among younger respondents, with just 26% approval in the 18-24 group compared to a modest peak of 35% in the 35-44 group. Tariff support was relatively stable among middle-aged groups but showed a U-shaped trend, dipping to 32% among the youngest respondents and 27% among the oldest. Older respondents generally supported stricter immigration policies, while environmental disengagement and trade restrictions drew more mixed reactions across age groups.

Panel

Panel responses varied widely, further underscoring the importance of multiple data sources. Panel P consistently had the highest approval levels, with 53% supporting mass deportation and 49% favoring tariffs. On the other hand, Panel Q showed the lowest support, with only 33% approving of mass deportation and 21% backing tariffs, representing a 20 and 28 percentage point difference from Panel P, respectively. Similar gaps appeared in other policies, such as withdrawing from the WHO, where support ranged from 45% in Panel P to just 16% in Panel Q—a 29 percentage point difference.

These differences emphasize the importance of blending multiple panels in research to capture a complete and accurate picture of public opinion. Relying on a single panel could skew the results, as individual panels often reflect unique biases or sampling differences. Click the button below to learn more about strategic sample blending.