Recent polling indicates that, for the first time this year, economic concerns are no longer the top priority for most voters.
According to a new Quinnipiac University National Poll released Thursday, the protection of democracy in the U.S. has emerged as the foremost issue, with 24% of participants citing it as their main concern, while only 19% identified the economy as their biggest worry.
Immigration follows closely, with about 18% of respondents ranking it as the most critical issue, and 15% cited international conflict. Other significant topics, including climate change, health care, abortion, racial inequality, and crime, garnered less attention, each falling below 10%.
The analysts at Quinnipiac pointed out that earlier polls from January 29th and March 13th had the economy ranked at the top.
Among Republicans, about 24% still regard the economy as a pressing issue, but it ranks lower than the 36% who are focused on immigration. Interestingly, only 7% of Republicans selected preserving democracy as their primary concern, which stands in contrast to 41% of Democrats and 26% of independents who feel differently.
For both Democrats and independents, the economy comes in second place for concern, while immigration is fourth for both groups, trailing behind international conflict.
This shift in priorities comes on the heels of widespread “no Kings” protests against President Trump’s policies, which took place on June 14th, coinciding with both his 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. In response to the demonstrations, Trump, while hosting a military parade in Washington D.C., dismissed the protesters’ sentiments, stating, “I don’t feel like a king.”
During the previous year, Trump focused heavily on economic issues, vowing to tackle inflation and related concerns.
Although inflation recently has hovered around a relatively low 2%, his tariff policies have unsettled the market and introduced uncertainty regarding the economic outlook. Trump has urged the Federal Reserve to lower rates; however, Chairman Jerome Powell declined to heed those recommendations.
“If you make a mistake here, people will pay for it for a long time,” Powell remarked on Wednesday.
The latest Quinnipiac poll also reveals that 39% of respondents approve of Trump’s management of the economy, whereas 56% disapprove. Six percent were undecided.
The reported survey engaged 979 voters from Saturday to Monday and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
