Survey Says is a weekly column rounding up three of the most important polling trends or data points you need to know about. You’ll also find data-based updates on past Daily Kos reporting, plus a vibe check on a trend that’s driving politics.
Chuck Schumers the bed
Chuck Schumer insists he’s not stepping down as Senate minority leader, despite growing calls for him to do just that. And while other top Democrats, like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, may still support him, voters sure don’t.
A new survey from The Economist/YouGov finds that Schumer is the only congressional leader whose job approval rating is underwater with his party’s voters: 40% of Democrats approve of his performance, while 44% disapprove.
Compare that with Jeffries: 54% of Democrats approve of how he’s doing his job, while just 22% disapprove. And like Jeffries, the two GOP leaders—House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune—both have net-positive job approval ratings from Republicans.
Schumer is the odd man out.
This poll was conducted after the recent standoff over a bill to fund the government, which is when Schumer started taking heat from Democrats. And that suggests Schumer’s leadership style—characterized by betraying his colleagues and capitulating to President Donald Trump—doesn’t resonate with his party’s voters.
Likewise, The Economist/YouGov’ tracking polls shows that Schumer’s favorability among Democrats has taken a major hit recently. (Civiqs has also seen his favorability take a hit, though less so.)
This anti-Schumer sentiment could be part of a bigger trend—and a bigger trouble for congressional Democrats.
Last Sunday, two separate surveys found that perceptions of the Democratic Party were at a historic low. And that’s largely because Democratic voters are frustrated with their party leadership trying to compromise with Trump, even though a significant share told NBC News they want them to “stick to their positions.”
Perhaps these polls will serve as a wake-up call.
After all, Trump isn’t doing so hot in the polls himself. Not only is his approval rating crashing, but those ages 65 and older—a key Republican demographic—seem to be turning on him. That same Economist/YouGov poll finds him at his worst net approval rating (9 points underwater) among older Americans since he took office.
Americans think Musk is evil—and ugly
It’s not just Trump’s approval rating that’s underwater; tech billionaire Elon Musk’s is too, according to new data from Blueprint, a Democratic data and polling firm. In fact, Musk’s net favorability is lower than Trump’s (-15 compared to -5), while 62% of registered voters told the firm that Trump should give Musk fewer responsibilities and influence.
Interestingly, despite Musk repeatedly sidelining Trump, 50% of respondents said that they believe Trump still holds the reins, suggesting that he won’t relinquish his so-called crown without a fight.
But these findings might reflect wishful thinking. Despite all of his flaws, the poll suggests that voters prefer Trump to Musk, who they view as less competent.
Even Republicans are less sold on Musk, with 38% of respondents approving of how he’s handling his role as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and 54% disapproving. Notably, his net job approval as the lead DOGE dork is just +59 among Republicans—20 points fewer than Trump’s net approval rating with this group.
Respondents also expressed disapproval of Musk shifting his focus from business to politics, with an overall net approval rating of -23. Only 41% of voters said they believe Musk is competent enough to lead a federal agency, while 50% think that he’s incompetent.
Blueprint also asked voters how well they believe certain words describe Musk. As expected, words like "billionaire" (79%), “power-hungry” (49%), “arrogant” (46%), and “manipulative” (45%) topped the list. A plurality of voters (41%) even said they found Musk to be “intelligent,” while 33% considered him a “genius.”
One thing voters seemed to agree on is that, despite his brains, Musk lacks brawn. The word voters think least describes Musk? “Sexy.”
Who’s got egg on their face?
Despite claims from the Trump administration that egg prices are falling, most Americans think that prices are still high. But they aren’t placing a lot of blame on Trump.
New polling from Morning Consult shows that Americans attribute other factors—such as inflation, price gouging, and ongoing bird flu outbreaks—more than Trump’s policies.
According to the survey, 60% of Americans blame Trump for high egg prices—that’s 10 percentage points more than those who blame former President Joe Biden. However, they’re much more likely to point the finger at other issues, like overall inflation (79%), which they think has had the largest impact on prices. After that, they blame price gouging (73%) and bird flu (70%).
It’s fair to say that Trump and his policies aren’t the sole culprit. Bird flu outbreaks are largely responsible for egg shortages, which lead to higher prices. And wholesale egg prices have indeed dropped quite a bit over the past month, though it’ll likely take a while for consumers to feel that.
That said, opposition to Trump’s policies could grow if consumers do not see a decrease in their grocery bills. And Trump’s own Department of Agriculture recently predicted that food prices would increase by more than 3% this year.
The nonpartisan health policy outlet KFF reported earlier this week that 59% of adults trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide reliable information regarding bird flu. However, far more Democrats (72%) trust the federal agency than Republicans (42%), but if Trump appoints another quack to lead the CDC, those numbers could shift.
The good news for Democrats? If they’re seeking a compelling issue to campaign on in 2026 or 2028, rising egg prices could serve as an entry point with voters, especially if they continue to increase. Morning Consult reports that 38% of Americans are buying fewer eggs due to the rising costs, and another 11% are cutting eggs from their diets altogether.
Rising prices could also unify voters across party lines. The poll found that 41% of adults had heard, read, or seen “a lot” about the reported egg shortage or its increased costs, while 39% said they’ve heard “some” about this topic.
All the Democratic Party needs is to come up with a better message than “raise your own chickens and harvest your own damn eggs.”
Any updates?
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Turns out, Democrats aren’t too thrilled when their so-called leaders bend a knee to conservatives. Since launching his new politics podcast, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s favorability among California’s self-identified liberals has dropped from 46% to 30%, according to Capitol Weekly. Among all California’s voters, Newsom’s net favorability also fell from +4 to -6, marking a 10-point swing in the wrong direction. It’s unclear who Newsom is trying to impress by courting some of the most controversial people in the GOP. Even Republican voters told the pollster that they found Newsom to be “fake.”
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Trump is making good on his promise to dismantle the Department of Education, even if he’s doing so in a piecemeal fashion. However, according to the Pew Research Center, the states that rely the most on federal funding—and would be the most affected by eliminating the Education Department—are red states. As of the 2022 fiscal year, Mississippi (23.3%), South Dakota (21.7%), and Montana (20.9%) received the largest percentage of their funding from federal sources. All three states overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024.
Vibe check
Civiqs recently asked registered Democratic voters how they’re feeling about, well, everything. And the overwhelming sentiment is that they’re pissed, with 35% of Democrats saying that they feel angry about the state of the country, compared to 26% who said that they feel scared.
While there are a lot of negative things happening in the world, Democrats’ anger began rising around the time Trump was sworn into office—jumping from 18% on January 20 to 35% now.
Meanwhile, feelings of hopefulness have changed significantly. In July 2024, following Biden’s exit from the presidential race and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, 33% of Democrats said they felt hopeful about the state of the nation.
Now, only 5% of Democrats report feeling hopeful.
Campaign Action
