2018 US Politics - Healthcare and Immigration are Reportedly the Most Important Problems Facing the US today (August 29)

President Donald Trump’s approval rating stands at 40% among registered voters with just nine weeks to go before the November 6^th elections for the House and Senate. Republicans remain positive about Trump’s overall performance, with 81% reporting they approve of the job he is doing. Democrats (12%) and Independents (27%) are much less likely to approve of Trump.

In this week’s Reuters/Ipsos generic ballot, Democrats (47%) enjoy a 13-point lead over Republicans (34%) among registered voters. Republicans (83%) and Democrats (88%) remain loyal to their respective parties when asked who they would vote for if the election were held today. Independents are more inclined to report they would vote for a Democrat (30%) than a Republican (16%) or candidate from another party (16%).

Healthcare (17%) and immigration (15%) are reportedly the most important problems facing the country today. When evaluating Donald Trump’s handling of these issues, just 37% approve of his handling of healthcare reform, and just 40% approve of his handling of immigration.

Americans continue to be cynical when thinking about the overall direction of the country, with more than half (56%) reporting they believe America is on the wrong track. Registered voters (58%), Democrats (83%) and Independents (68%) share in the pessimism. Republicans are much more likely to think things are going well, with just a quarter (23%) reporting things in America are headed on the wrong track.

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for Thomson Reuters between August 22-28, 2018. For the survey, a sample of 3,550 Americans, including 2,920 registered voters, 1,292 Democrats, 1,123 Republicans, and 338 Independents ages 18+ were interviewed online.