US midterm voters want Congress to tackle costs, Iran war over Trump agenda: Poll

A large majority of US voters want the next Congress to focus on lowering the cost of living and ending the war with Iran, while fewer consider investigating President Donald Trump’s administration or supporting his agenda a top priority, according to an AP-NORC poll published ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

About eight in 10 registered voters say lowering living costs should be among Congress’s highest priorities, while roughly seven in 10 want lawmakers to focus on ending the war with Iran, the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found.

By comparison, about four in 10 voters want investigating the Trump administration to be a high priority, while only about two in 10 favour prioritising the Republican president’s agenda.

The findings suggest voters want Congress to address economic and international concerns despite Trump’s central role in campaigning for the midterm elections.

Reducing the federal budget deficit and finding common ground between Democrats and Republicans are also high priorities for about half of voters. Around four in 10 want Congress to prioritise new laws regulating artificial intelligence, while about three in 10 favour ending US military aid to Israel.

Affordability cuts across party lines

Democrats and Republicans broadly agree on the need to reduce living costs and end the conflict with Iran, although their priorities diverge on oversight of the administration and the president’s agenda.

Among Democratic voters, about six in 10 say investigating the Trump administration should be one of Congress’s highest priorities. However, the issue ranks behind affordability and ending the war.

Justin Campbell, a 31-year-old Democrat from Brookhaven, Mississippi, who identifies as a democratic socialist, said he wanted government policies to benefit ordinary people rather than the wealthy.

“I’m not a millionaire and probably won’t ever be,” he said. “I prefer policy that helps me instead of someone I’ll never be.”

The poll found differences within the Democratic Party. About three-quarters of Democratic voters who identify as supporters of democratic socialism want Congress to prioritise investigating the Trump administration, compared with slightly less than half of Democrats who do not identify that way.

Democratic socialists are also more likely to favour ending military aid to Israel and less likely to prioritise finding common ground with Republicans.

Arthur Brown, a 71-year-old Democrat from Magee, Mississippi, said Congress should focus on strengthening the economy and bringing prices down rather than concentrating primarily on holding Trump accountable.

“They should just focus on, you know, trying to tackle these problems,” he said. “Eventually down the road, justice will come.”

Republicans divided over Trump’s agenda

Republican voters also place lowering costs, ending the Iran war and reducing the budget deficit ahead of explicitly supporting Trump’s agenda.

Only about four in 10 Republicans say backing the administration’s agenda should be one of Congress’s highest priorities. The figure rises to about six in 10 among supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, compared with roughly two in 10 among Republicans who do not identify as MAGA supporters.

Richard Longo, a 74-year-old Republican from Lake Forest, California, said he wanted Trump’s agenda pursued but was particularly concerned about balancing the federal budget.

“You’re not going to balance the budget in one year, but you have to have a plan,” he said.

Lisa Ostlund, a 46-year-old MAGA supporter from Wayland, Massachusetts, credited Trump’s policies with helping her find housing after several years of homelessness and said she wanted Congress to prioritise his agenda.

“You got to care about your American people,” she said. “He definitely doesn’t say it right, but you do have to put them first.”

The findings come as House Democrats prepare a proposed 100-day agenda in the event they win control of the chamber in November. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has identified affordability and oversight of the Trump administration among the party’s priorities.

The poll also points to potential divisions within the Democratic Party over investigations, military aid to Israel and cooperation with Republicans if the party regains a governing majority.