Americans say many Trump tactics cross the line for presidents
Welcome to YouGov's weekly newsletter The Surveyor, with new polling data, insights, and charts on politics, life, and other topical issues — from our U.S. News team.
This week, we're spotlighting surveys about presidential norm-breaking, the death of Pope Francis, the tax-exempt status of charities, churches, and other organizations, and our final MRP projections for the upcoming election in Canada.
Trump is testing the limits of power — and most think he's gone too far
Donald Trump has acted in ways that previous presidents have actively avoided. And many of his recent behaviors are viewed by majorities of Americans as unacceptable for a president, our latest survey shows. Most of the 34 actions on the survey — which generally involve governance, abuse of power, and conflicts of interest and describe many things Trump has done as president — are viewed as unacceptable by more than half of Americans. The questions asked about presidents in general, without mentioning Trump or any former president — as was true with a similar survey we conducted early in Trump's second term.
Of the behaviors included in the survey, the ones that are most likely to be viewed by Americans as unacceptable for a president are withholding federal disaster aid based on political considerations (77%), refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order (75%), using private messaging apps rather than official channels to share classified information (74%), and using federal prosecutions of elected officials as political leverage (72%).
None of the presidential actions is viewed as acceptable by a majority of Americans, though some are approved of by at least one-third, including questioning the legitimacy of federal court rulings (40% view as acceptable), questioning the legitimacy of a U.S. election (39%), making major policy announcements on social media (37%), and conducting official meetings at properties they own (34%).
For nearly every action asked about on the poll, there are large differences in how many Democrats and Republicans consider them to be unacceptable for presidents. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to disapprove of all 34 actions asked about. The largest partisan gaps are on issues related to federal funding and workers, including abolishing federal agencies and departments without congressional approval (90% of Democrats and 24% of Republicans say it's unacceptable), firing hundreds of thousands of federal government workers (89% vs. 24%), and pausing the distribution of all federal grants and loans (89% vs. 26%).
Only one action asked about is considered unacceptable by a similar share of Democrats and Republicans: issuing pardons to family members, which Joe Biden did with his son Hunter in December. 65% of Republicans see this as unacceptable, compared to 68% of Democrats.
Republicans are generally more likely than Democrats to say they are not sure whether presidential actions are acceptable or unacceptable.
Charting opinions
Final YouGov MRP for the 2025 Canadian federal election: Liberals likely to win a majority
YouGov’s final update of the 2025 Canadian federal election MRP model suggests that the Liberals will win a modest majority on Monday, April 28. Our final projection is that the Liberals will win between 162 seats and 204 seats, with a central estimate of 185. The model estimates have moved somewhat since our projection Wednesday, but tell a consistent story: Mark Carney looks set to return to 24 Sussex with a majority of the 343 Canadian House of Commons seats. (Patrick English)
What Americans think about the late Pope Francis
A snap poll taken hours after Pope Francis's death Monday morning finds largely positive feelings about the Catholic leader. 53% of U.S. adults say Francis was either a very good pope (30%) or one of the best popes (23%) — compared to only 15% of U.S. adult citizens who said Pope Benedict XVI was very good (13%) or one of the best (2%) when he resigned in 2013. Catholics are more positive about Francis than are Americans as a whole — 67% call him either very good (39%) or one of the best (27%). Only 9% of U.S. adults and 8% of Catholics say Francis was a poor pope or one of the worst popes. (David Montgomery)
Which groups do Americans think should be tax-exempt?
Many Americans believe certain institutions deserve tax-exempt status, but views vary widely depending on the type of organization. Majorities of Americans agree that veterans' organizations (71%), charitable nonprofit organizations (67%), and public K-12 schools (60%) should be exempt from paying taxes. There is less consensus on other types of groups and organizations, including public universities (43%), religious organizations (41%), and environmental organizations (38%). Fewer than one-third support tax exemption for each of the following: private K-12 schools (31%), labor unions (24%), private universities (22%), and political organizations (11%). (Taylor Orth)
Quick takes
Family business: 27% of American adults have worked in the same field as their parents — including 8% who say they've worked directly for their parents, 9% who have worked in the same workplace, and 10% who have worked in the same field
Phoning it in: When Americans replace their current cellphone, 25% say it probably will be mainly because they want a new model, 24% say it likely will be because their current phone will break, and 24% expect it will happen because their current phone will become too slow. Adults under 30 (36%) are especially likely to say they'll get a new phone because they want a newer model
Social-media search: 36% of Americans think it's acceptable for border officials to require certain people entering the U.S. to provide access to their electronic devices and social media accounts. 16% say border officials should be allowed to search everyone's digital information, including U.S. citizens', while 20% say this should only be allowed for non-citizens
Code-switching: Almost half (46%) of Americans say they often or sometimes change the way they speak or act because of who they are talking to. This behavior is more prevalent among younger adults: About twice as many adults under 30 as Americans 65 and older say they change their manner of speaking or acting for different audiences (60% vs. 28%)
Due process: 42% of Americans think everyone in the U.S. should be legally entitled to due process under the law. 25% think only people who are lawfully in the U.S. should be entitled to it, 19% think only U.S. citizens should, and 4% think only law-abiding U.S. citizens should
Elsewhere
Polling partnerships
The Economist + YouGov on Donald Trump's approval rating, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, immigration, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s claims
CBS News on artificial intelligence
Polling abroad
What Canadians think about 20 policies proposed by Carney and Poilievre (YouGov Canada)
Half of Canadians say that relations with the U.S. are a top issue and more Canadians trust Carney than Poilievre on tariffs (YouGov Canada)
How do Britons feel about swearing? (YouGov UK)
Polling in the press
Trump’s economic numbers turn dismal (Washington Post)
Playbook: Trump soothes market jitters (Politico)
Trump approval on immigration drops to 45 percent: Survey (The Hill)
Who’s most likely to change (or hyphenate) their name after marriage? (Washington Post)
Finally, a win for those of us who read captions on Netflix (CNN)
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This newsletter is compiled by Taylor Orth and Carl Bialik