April Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll: Trump Approval Rating At 42% with Two-Thirds of Voters Noticing Significant Increases in Gas Prices
Stagwell Inc.
April 28, 2026, 12:15 AM ET
TRUMP APPROVAL STEADY AT 46 PERCENT AMONG LIKELY MIDTERM VOTERS AND 80 PERCENT WITH GOP VOTERS
85% OF VOTERS ARE CONCERNED COST OF LIVING WILL RISE GIVEN GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
52% OF VOTERS SUPPORT U.S. MILITARY AIRSTRIKES ON IRAN, WITH 54% VIEWING THEM AS JUSTIFIED
79% OF VOTERS THINK TRUMP WAS RIGHT TO AGREE TO A TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE IN IRAN
74% SAY THE U.S. IS WINNING OVER IRAN, WITH 63% AFFIRMING THE U.S. SHOULD CONTINUE ITS BLOCKADE IF IRAN REFUSES TO GIVE UP ITS URANIUM
64% OF VOTERS BELIEVE THAT IRANIAN LEADERSHIP IS NOW SPLIT INTO COMPETING FACTIONS, AND 60% SAY IRAN IS UNLIKELY TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM DESPITE PRESSURE
66% OF VOTERS SUPPORT AN INTERNATIONAL NAVAL FORCE TO SECURE THE FREE MOVEMENT OF SHIPS IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
74% OF VOTERS HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY, BUT ONLY 55% OF FEMALE GEN Z SHARE THE SAME VIEW
NEW YORK, NY AND CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 28, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) today released the results of the April Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
President Donald Trump’s approval rating is at 42%, his lowest in the past year, though support among likely midterms voters and Republicans remains steady. His job approval is highest on fighting crime in America’s cities (48%) and immigration (47%); and lowest on handling inflation (37%), the economy (39%), and managing the Iran conflict (39%). This month’s poll also covered public opinion on the overall economy, Middle East and Iran conflict, and the 2028 presidential primaries. The poll’s questionnaire was finalized before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Download the key results here.
“Voters continue to focus on cost of living while the president is winning wider acceptance of his Iran plans,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “They want him to hold fast on the terms for any peace deals.”
MAJORITY OF VOTERS HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF THE U.S.
- 37% of voters say the U.S. is on the right track (+2 pts., March 2026), and 34% say the same about the economy (+2).
- Among key American institutions and foreign actors, voters have the highest net favorable view of the U.S. Military (+62 net favorable) and the country (+57) and the least favorable view of Iran (-52).
- Inflation, the economy, immigration, and health care continue to be the nation’s top four most important issues today, according to voters, with 20% now citing the U.S.-Iran conflict as a top concern.
MOST TRUMP POLICIES CONTINUE TO SEE STRONG SUPPORT, BUT OVERALL PERFORMANCE RECEIVES MIXED REVIEWS
- The majority of key Trump policies continue to see majority support. His most popular policies are lowering prescription drug prices (84% support), deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes (75%), and eliminating fraud in government expenditures (73%).
- Trump’s least popular policies include Medicaid cost cuts (44%), hiring additional ICE agents to conduct immigration raids (47%), and tariffs (49%).
- 74% of voters continue to say it is in the U.S.’ interests to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, including a majority across political parties.
- 47% of voters, a plurality, say Trump is doing worse than expected as president, including 45% of likely midterm voters.
- 53% of voters say Trump has accomplished at least some of his campaign promises. But a plurality of likely midterm voters (33%) and Independents (42%) say his policies are not at all consistent with his campaign promises.
- 50% of voters, a plurality, believe Trump’s policies have set America on a worse path (Independents: 58%; Likely midterm voters: 48%).
MIDTERMS LOCKED IN A DEAD HEAT; HARRIS AND VANCE SOLIDIFY BASES AS VOTERS THINK ABOUT 2028 ELECTION
- 71% of voters say they are planning to vote in the upcoming 2026 Congressional midterm elections (Democrats: 59%; Republicans: 62%; Independents: 40%). 63% say they usually vote in midterms.
- The horserace is split 50-50 among general voters and likely midterm voters, with 52% of Independents saying they would vote for a Democrat were elections held today.
- 67% of voters have thought about the upcoming 2028 presidential election.
- Kamala Harris (50%; +9) and J.D. Vance (48%; +6) are the favored candidates for president among voters from their respective parties.
VOTERS WANT COURT RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL GERRYMANDERING
- 56% of voters think political gerrymandering should be restricted by the courts, including a majority across political parties.
- 57% of voters say the recent vote to add four Democrat districts to Virginia will help further democracy.
MOST ARE UNAWARE OF SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INDICTMENT BUT BELIEVE PAYMENTS WERE INAPPROPRIATE
- 64% of voters say they have not heard anything about the federal indictment handed to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
- 67% of voters think payments by the Southern Poverty Law Center to infiltrate right-wing extremists were inappropriate, including a majority across political parties.
VOTERS CONTINUE TO SEE DIVERGING POLICY STANCES BETWEEN PARTIES ON IRAN, IMMIGRATION, AND VOTER ID
- 84% of voters believe Democrats are against the war on Iran, while 75% think Republicans are for it.
- 51% of voters believe Democrats are for deporting violent criminals who are in the U.S. illegally, while 80% think the same of Republicans.
- 58% of voters believe Democrats stand for open borders (+2 pts., March 2026), including a majority across political parties.
- 65% of voters believe Democrats are against voter ID requirements, while 84% think Republicans are for them.
STRONG CONCERN ABOUT HIGHER GAS PRICES LEADING TO MORE EXPENSIVE COSTS OF LIVING DUE TO GEOPOLITICS
- 58% of voters say the current state of the economy is due to the Trump administration, with 52% saying it is worse today than it was under Biden.
- 57% of voters believe the economy is shrinking, and 73% say inflation is above 3 percent a year (Democrats: 77%; Republicans: 66%; Independents: 75%).
- A majority of voters have noticed increases in each of six key spending categories, with 88% of voters noticing an increase in the price of gasoline and 84% noticing the same of groceries/food.
- 85% of voters are concerned that higher gas prices will lead to broader increases in the cost of living, including a strong majority across political parties. Most voters say war and geopolitical conflict are the primary causes of higher gas prices (51%).
- Among potential federal actions to address high gas prices, voters most support reducing fuel taxes (44%) and increasing domestic oil production (41%).
- 71% of voters agree the U.S. should prioritize energy independence to avoid global price shocks, including a majority across political parties, but 51% think higher gas prices are not worth the cost of confronting Iran and maintaining U.S. national security.
MORE VOTERS VIEW IRAN AS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT
- 67% of voters say they have been following developments in the conflict between U.S., Israel, and Iran, including a majority across political parties and age groups.
- 52% of voters support U.S. military airstrikes on Iran, with 54% saying they are justified.
- 65% of voters believe Iran has been rebuilding its nuclear capability since U.S. airstrikes on the country last year (+7). 65% say Iran is a national security threat (+3).
- 63% of voters say the U.S. should continue to blockade the Iranians if they refuse to give up their uranium. 59% say the U.S. should resume bombing Iranian military and infrastructure targets if they fire on American ships.
- 74% say the U.S. is winning over Iran right now. But 35%, a plurality, say the U.S.-Iran conflict has no clear direction.
- 64% of voters think Iranian leadership is now split into factions. But 60% believe Iran will not give up their nuclear program even if Trump remains strong against Iran.
VOTERS WANT TRUMP TO HOLD FAST ON CONDITIONS FOR IRAN PEACE DEAL
- 78% of voters say Trump was right to agree to a ceasefire, and 57% say he was right to put a blockade on ships to Iran.
- A strong majority of voters support each of six key conditions for an Iran deal, including a majority across political parties, with the most voters saying it is essential Iran stops supporting terror proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas (79%) and executing protestors (78%). 66% of voters say Trump should insist on all of these points, and 54% think the U.S. has the upper hand in negotiations.
- 66% of voters support an international naval force to secure free movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including a majority across political parties. 51% say other nations that import oil from the Persian Gulf should be responsible for protecting shipping through the Strait, not the U.S.
STRONG MAJORITY SUPPORT LONG-TERM PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND LEBANON
- 74% of voters continue to support Israel over Hamas.
- 76% of voters believe there are terrorist groups on Israel’s borders, and 43%, a plurality, say the groups are trying to destroy Israel.
- 81% of voters support a long-term peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon, with 76% saying Hezbollah should be required to disarm as part of the agreement.
The April Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on April 23-26, 2026, among 2,745 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About The Harris Poll & HarrisX
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in the U.S. and over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Contact:
Carrie Hsu
pr@stagwellglobal.com