Poll: Voter Sentiment on Trump’s ‘America First’ Promise

A recent Emerson College poll has revealed that a significant portion of voters feels President Donald Trump’s administration isn’t fulfilling its “America First” pledge. Released on Friday, the survey indicates that 53% of likely American voters believe the administration is falling short of that promise, while 42% think it is succeeding, marking an 11-point net negative. This represents an 18-point shift from the previous year’s findings.

In March 2025, 48% had believed the administration was effectively prioritizing America, but now, those numbers have clearly changed. The Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, Spencer Kimball, noted that independents, along with Hispanic voters, are playing a key role in these changing perceptions. A year ago, independents were more evenly split—45% felt the administration was making America a priority, while 44% disagreed. Now, however, the belief that it isn’t prioritizing America has risen to 58%, with only 36% supporting the claim that it is.

Hispanic voters are reflecting similar trends. They are fairly split, with 41% affirming that America is a priority for the administration, but currently, 58% disagree, indicating a notable change in sentiment.

The survey also revealed some gender differences in perspective. About 50% of men surveyed feel the Trump administration is indeed putting America first, contrasting with 60% of women who believe otherwise, and only 35% thinking it is.

Interestingly, the White House has not yet responded to inquiries regarding this latest poll.

Moreover, the poll found that 88% of respondents are closely monitoring the ongoing conflict in Iran, while 12% are not following it as closely. When it comes to U.S. military action in Iran, 47% oppose it, 40% are supportive, and 13% are unsure.

In his January 2025 inaugural speech, Trump boldly claimed that he would prioritize America every day of his term, expressing hopes for national prosperity and global respect. He asserted a commitment to ensuring America wouldn’t be taken advantage of and outlined priorities like securing borders and improving governmental efficiency.

Amidst this backdrop, a recent Democracy Institute poll indicates that 80% of respondents believe Trump has failed to honor his campaign promise to end foreign wars, a sentiment echoed by 85% of Republicans and 73% of Democrats alike.

The Emerson College survey was conducted on March 16th and 17th, with a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points for the sample of 1,000 likely U.S. voters.