President Donald Trump appears to have hit a snag with parts of the MAGA wing on one issue even as he continues to hold strong support from his core base on most others, according to results from a new national survey.
Why It Matters
New findings from the Angus Reid Institute indicate that Republicans who identify with the MAGA movement largely approve of Trump’s first-year agenda—but they did not deliver a clearly positive assessment when asked about changes to their own household health care costs. That stands out as a rare area where enthusiasm softens compared with other issues where MAGA voters remain firmly supportive.
The survey also suggests a larger vulnerability may be emerging within the Republican coalition itself. Republicans who do not identify as MAGA reported sharply negative views on key “kitchen-table” issues, posting net scores of minus 30 on the cost of living and minus 20 on health care when asked whether they were pleased or upset by changes during Trump’s first year. With midterm elections approaching in November, those numbers point to pressure points that could affect turnout, persuasion, and party unity beyond the MAGA base.
What To Know
The Angus Reid Institute survey of 1,838 U.S. adults found that Republicans aligned with the MAGA movement backed Trump on most major issues during his first year back in office. But the group was split when it came to household health care costs—an unusual weak spot as the country moves toward midterm campaigning.
The online poll was conducted January 16–20, 2026, and highlights a widening divide between MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans. MAGA identifiers expressed broad approval of Trump and his aggressive use of executive power, while non-MAGA Republicans were far more negative on the cost of living and health care—underscoring the political risk posed by persistent pocketbook pressures.
Overall job approval: The institute reported that 37 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s first year of his current term, while 56 percent disapproved.
Partisan splits: Approval measured 93 percent among MAGA Republicans and 69 percent among non-MAGA Republicans. By comparison, approval was 6 percent among Democrats and 18 percent among independents or others.
Issue ratings: Of 17 issues tested, the survey found only two areas where Americans overall offered more praise than criticism: reducing illegal immigration at the southern border and the performance of the stock market.
Most criticized items: The poll recorded the most negative reactions around discussions of annexing Greenland, handling of the cost of living, handling of health care, and the Epstein files.
Intra-GOP divide on executive power: MAGA Republicans strongly supported Trump’s tendency to bypass Congress, while non-MAGA Republicans were significantly less supportive, according to the institute’s net-score summary.
Priorities: Cost of living and inflation ranked as the top national issue for 53 percent of respondents—20 points higher than health care, which was cited by 33 percent.
The survey sample was weighted to reflect national adult demographics by region, gender, age, household income, and education based on U.S. census benchmarks.
For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by the Angus Reid Institute.
What People Are Saying
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek in a previous emailed statement: “President Trump took office with a resounding mandate from the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for him to secure our border, end Joe Biden’s inflation crisis, remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets, and restore American Greatness both at home and abroad.
“He has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President, having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives. He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling.”
Trump said in a recent Truth Social post: “Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense. As an example, all of the Anti Trump Media that covered me during the 2020 Election showed Polls that were knowingly wrong.”
He added: “There are great Pollsters that called the Election right, but the Media does not want to use them in any way, shape, or form. Isn’t it sad what has happened to American Journalism, but I am going to do everything possible to keep this Polling SCAM from moving forward!”
What Happens Next
The results suggest that health care costs—and the broader cost-of-living squeeze—could become key stress tests for Republican unity as midterm campaigns ramp up. That pressure may be especially pronounced among non-MAGA Republicans, who registered notably negative views on both issues in the survey.
