A month after Donald Trump’s presidential victory, more voters feel positive than negative about the election results.
In a new Fox News Poll, voters were given a list of words to describe how they felt about the election outcome and at least half say they are hopeful (54%) or relieved (50%), and just under half feel excited (48%).
About 4 in 10 say depressed (40%) or angry (39%), while about half are scared (46%) or surprised (50%).
Most Republicans feel hopeful (91%), relieved (90%), or excited (86%), while most Democrats are scared (77%), angry (69%), or depressed (68%).
These results are similar to how voters felt in 2016 after Trump was first elected, though fewer are hopeful now (-5 points), while more are depressed (+10) compared to eight years ago.
The decrease in the number feeling hopeful and increase in those feeling depressed is primarily driven by Democrats and Independents.
"The fact that hopeful is the top emotion about the election outcome mostly reflects the deep partisan divide in the country, but notably, one in five Democrats is hopeful," says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News survey with Republican Daron Shaw. "While it’s a stretch to say that means Trump can bridge the partisan divide, it may reflect that at least some Democrats think he can make progress in certain areas -- most likely inflation and border security, the top voting issues this year."
The poll, released Wednesday, also digs into how voters think the Trump administration will handle certain issues and what the priorities should be.
According to the 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis (FNVA) election survey, 4 in 10 voters said the economy was the most important issue facing the country (39%) and that inflation was the single most important factor to their vote -- and both groups backed Trump by at least 20 points.
The new survey finds the economy remains the most important issue (34%), with immigration and border security a distant second (21%). No other issue reached double digits, including abortion (7%), which was a top issue all year.
Voters are clear that Trump should focus on tackling inflation, as 60% say it is extremely important he lowers the price of food and gas. Next is cutting taxes for people (47% extremely important), followed by strengthening national defense (42%), deporting illegal immigrants (38%), reducing the size of government (29%), ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (29%), decreasing aid to Ukraine (26%), increasing tariffs (20%), increasing aid to Israel (18%), and cutting taxes for large businesses (16%).
The only issue to have partisan agreement is lowering prices, as nearly half of Democrats (49%) and majorities of Republicans (69%) and Independents (63%) think it’s extremely important for Trump to get this done.
Democrats’ priorities are lowering prices (49%) and cutting taxes for individuals (39%). For Republicans it is lowering prices (69%) and deportation (65%), while for independents it’s prices (63%) and cutting taxes for individuals (50%).
"These data provide a blueprint for how Trump can win the first 100 days," says Shaw. "Get prices under control, ease the tax burden on individual Americans, and strengthen national defense. That’s the list."
But what do voters expect will happen on these issues under the Trump administration?
Voters feel most positive about Trump’s effect on the southern border saying he will make it more secure than less secure by 42 points. They are also bullish on public safety, saying he will make the country safer as opposed to less safe by 6 points. Voters are more pessimistic about the administration’s effect on democratic processes (by 5 points they say democracy will be weaker), taxes (+7 say they will go up versus down), the national debt (+17 increase versus decrease), and abortion restrictions (+39 increase versus decrease).
Americans are split over what will happen with high prices (more say they will increase by 2 points) and free speech restrictions (+2 decreased restrictions).
Democrats are most likely to think prices, restrictions on free speech and abortion, the national debt, and taxes will increase, while Republicans generally think the country will be safer and more democratic and the border more secure under Trump.
Democrats are more likely to think border security will stay the same, while Republicans feel that way about abortion restrictions.
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"These numbers present opportunities for Trump," says Shaw. "Voters do not necessarily have high expectations for the president-elect on key aspects of the economy. If he reassures them on his commitment to democratic and free speech norms and advances policies that bring down prices and lower individual tax burdens, he could significantly improve his standing."
Trump got to work immediately post-election by announcing his Cabinet nominees.
The poll asks voters if they would vote to confirm the nominees or not if they were serving in the U.S. Senate.
Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., rates the best as voters would confirm him for Secretary of State by 11 points (46% yes, confirm, 35% no, not confirm). Next is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services (+5 yes), Pam Bondi for Attorney General (+5 yes), and Scott Bessent for Secretary of the Treasury (+5 yes).
The lowest ratings go to Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, as more would vote not to confirm him by 9 points (31% yes, 40% no), and Kash Patel for Director of the FBI (+4 no).
Voters are split over Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence (+1 no) and Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security (+1 yes).
Between 24-34% have never heard of Bondi, Bessent, Hegseth, Patel, Gabbard, and Noem. Kennedy (6% never heard of) and Rubio (14%) are better known.
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Overall, 47% approve of the job Trump is doing on picking his Cabinet while 50% disapprove. About equal amounts of Democrats disapprove (89%) of Trump’s picks as Republicans approve (87%). Independents are roughly split: 44% approve, 49% disapprove.
Similarly, when it comes to Elon Musk serving as a close adviser to Trump, 47% of voters approve vs. 50% disapprove.
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Conducted December 6-9, 2024 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,015 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (125) and cellphones (699) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (191). Results based the full registered voter sample has a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error associated with results among subgroup is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
