New Poll Rates Trump Poorly On Trade, Immigration And Ukraine

A new Quinnipiac University poll gives Donald Trump poor ratings on trade, immigration and efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Political commentators credited Trump’s stance on immigration for winning back the White House, although others cited voter concerns about inflation. The poll shows Americans support admitting international students and maintaining birthright citizenship and may be wearying of the president’s mass deportation policies.

Trump Receives Bad Report Card On Immigration And Deportations

During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump devoted far more attention to immigration than any previous presidential candidate. He dedicated significant portions of his rallies and speeches to immigration. He promised mass deportation and singled out Venezuelans, Haitians and other immigrant groups.

After more than four months in office, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows most Americans oppose his actions on immigration and deportations. Fifty-four percent of registered voters disapprove of “the way Donald Trump is handling immigration issues,” and only 43% approve. Fifty-two percent of independents disapprove, vs. 43% approve. Among Republicans, 87% approve, and 9% disapprove. Among Democrats, 4% approve of how Donald Trump handles immigration, and 95% disapprove.

Trump received lower marks on deportations. Fifty-six percent of registered voters disapprove of “the way Donald Trump is handling deportations,” and 40% approve. Fifty-seven percent of independents disapprove, vs. 38% approve. Among Republicans, 87% approve, and 9% disapprove. Among Democrats, 4% approve of the way Donald Trump is handling immigration, and 96% disapprove. Independents in the survey drive Trump’s approval ratings lower on deportations.

Quinnipiac states, “1,265 self-identified registered voters nationwide were surveyed from June 5th to 9th with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.”

June 5th to 9^th would cover part of the period when arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Los Angeles led to protests and Trump calling in National Guard troops. To achieve an internal target of 1 million deportations, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller ordered federal agents to arrest more people without criminal convictions, including in places like Home Depot.

Catherine Rampell, an opinion columnist at the Washington Post, describes a frightening scene in parts of the country likely to dampen support for deportations. Two business owners said a group of masked men appeared unannounced outside their office in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. “Maybe they really were immigration officers, just as they claimed,” writes Rampell. “Or maybe they were a ragtag vigilante group, arbitrarily snatching brown-looking people off the street. ‘It could have been like a band of the Proud Boys or something,’ said Linda Shafiroff, recounting the agents who showed up outside her office in masks and tactical gear and refused to show IDs, warrants or even the names of any criminals they were supposedly hunting.”

Voters Hold Positive Immigration Views On International Students And Maintaining Birthright Citizenship

The Quinnipiac poll asked voters their opinion of international students and birthright citizenship, which allows children born in the United States to be citizens. The Trump administration has suspended student interviews, attempted to deport international students for minor offenses and pledged to revoke visas for certain Chinese students. It has also blocked Harvard University from enrolling international students.

The Quinnipiac poll asked, “Do you think international students coming to the United States to study at colleges and universities is a good thing for the United States or a bad thing for the United States?” Among registered voters, 74% said it was a “good thing,” and 17% said it was a “bad thing.” Seventy-five percent of independents said it was a “good thing,” and 14% said it was bad. Among Republicans, 49% said it was a “good thing,” vs. 37% who said it was a “bad thing.” Among Democrats, 96% considered it good that international students studied at U.S. colleges and universities, and only 3% said it was bad.

In a separate question, 54% of registered voters disapprove of how Trump handles universities compared to 37% who approve.

On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration published its executive order ending birthright citizenship in the United States. Under the order, a baby born to an undocumented immigrant mother or a female temporary visa holder would no longer be a U.S. citizen at birth unless the father was a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. A National Foundation for American Policy analysis finds the Trump administration’s new policy would impose a $3,000 or higher “birth tax” for each baby born in the United States to carry out the executive order.

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule whether the Trump administration can implement the order in parts of the United States while legal challenges continue in federal court. District Court judges have blocked the executive order because they view it unconstitutional and unlikely to withstand litigation.

The Quinnipiac poll asked, “As you may know, under the U.S. Constitution, all children born in the United States are automatically granted U.S. citizenship. Do you think all children born in the U.S. should continue to be automatically granted citizenship or do you think this should be changed so that children of non-citizens are no longer automatically granted citizenship?”

Sixty-four percent of voters said the United States should “continue granting” citizenship at birth to all children born in the U.S. Thirty-three percent said the policy should be changed or birthright citizenship should not be granted. Among independents, 64% support continuing to grant birthright citizenship compared to 31% who oppose the current policy. Among Republicans, only 33% support continuing the current birthright citizenship policy vs. 61% who want to see it changed. Among Democrats, 92% support granting birthright citizenship under the current policy, compared to 7% wanting to change it.

Trump Receives Poor Ratings On Trade And The War In Ukraine

During his second term, levying high tariffs on imports from across the globe and attempting to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have been Donald Trump’s two most significant international undertakings. Voters give Trump poor ratings on both policies.

Quinnipiac asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling trade?” Fifty-seven percent of registered voters said they disapprove of how Trump handles trade, and 38% approved. Among independents, 58% disapproved and 36% approved. Thirteen percent of Republicans disapproved of Trump’s handling of trade, and 80% approved. Among Democrats, 95% disapproved, and only 2% approved.

The Quinnipiac poll asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling the Russia-Ukraine war?” Fifty-seven percent of registered voters disapproved, and 34% approved. Among independents, 57% disapproved and 31% approved. Nineteen percent of Republicans disapproved, and 70% approved. Among Democrats, 94% disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war and 2% approved.

“Among the issues Quinnipiac asked about—immigration, trade, the economy, Israel-Gaza and universities—Trump’s numbers are the worst on Russia-Ukraine, and they also are the worst among Republicans,” said Syracuse University professor Brian Taylor, author of Russian Politics: A Very Short Introduction. Only 3% of U.S. registered voters were very confident about a permanent ceasefire in the near future.

“I think these results ultimately reflect the basic understanding of most Americans that Russia started the war, Russia is bombing Ukrainian cities every night and Russia opposes a ceasefire,” said Taylor. “Yet Trump refuses to put the blame on Putin and Russia and take steps to help Ukraine, such as sanctioning Russian oil more and providing military assistance to Ukraine.”