Poll: Most Americans unhappy with Medicaid cuts, Trump’s tariffs
Another poll shows that Americans are not entirely happy with President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” spending package, especially when asked about its impact on healthcare costs.
In a new poll from CBS and YouGov, most of the 2,343 respondents (47%) said the act—which was signed into law by Trump—will hurt them and their families. A minority of respondents (25%) said they thought it would help, while 28% said they expect little to no impact.
Notably, those numbers are similar to the findings of another YouGov poll conducted before the act passed, when 43% said the bill would be harmful, while 26% thought it might help their families.
As it stands, 61% of respondents in this new poll reported that they thought the Big, Beautiful Bill would ultimately benefit the wealthy most. On the flip side, a similar number (60%) said poor people will be harmed by its enactment.
Rising costs and tax cuts
Concerns over provisions of the package, specifically the gradual cuts to Medicaid and other safety-net programs, may explain the declining public sentiment. When asked if they thought the act would reduce their healthcare costs, only 13% said it would, while more than half (54%) said they expected the cost of insurance and healthcare services to rise.
Interestingly, Republican defenders of the bill have highlighted its extension of payroll tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first term. However, when asked how the budget package would impact their tax burden, 40% of respondents said they expected their taxes to go up, while only 28% anticipated a cut.
In the middle, 32% said the act would have little to no impact on their taxes.
The overall importance of the bill in evaluating Trump’s presidency ranked high, with 56% of all respondents saying it matters a lot. The same percentage of individuals identified inflation as equally important—a concern commonly cited in other YouGov polling.
In this latest poll, 70% also said Trump is not doing enough to lower prices on goods and services, while only 30% felt he was doing enough or even too much.
Trump tariffs losing public support
Sweeping global tariffs are expected to go into effect in August, but results from this poll suggest they are widely unpopular.
Most YouGov respondents (60%) said they outright oppose Trump’s tariffs. Similarly, 61% said the President is too focused on the issue, while 33% said the administration is placing the “right amount” of focus on import taxes.
A full breakdown of the polling can be found here.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.