Fox News Poll Reveals Sharp Divides on Trump Policies

Two months into his presidency and armed with over 90 executive orders, Donald Trump’s policy agenda has left American voters deeply divided, according to the latest Fox News Poll released Thursday. While some of his initiatives enjoy broad support, others seem to have landed like a lead balloon.

Popular Policies: Among Trump’s most favored orders is the controversial ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports, which voters support by an overwhelming 38-point margin (68% favor, 30% oppose). The executive order, aptly titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," was signed on February 5.

Other widely supported measures include making English the official U.S. language (66% favor, 32% oppose), deporting illegal immigrants (63%-35%), acknowledging only two genders (54%-44%), and ramping up drilling and oil production (53%-44%). These policies seem to tap into long-standing cultural and social debates within the country.

Mixed Reception: Voters are more split on reducing the number of federal employees (46% favor, 51% oppose) and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (45%-51%). The ideological battle over these issues reflects deeper partisan divides.

Least Popular Ideas: Trump’s more eccentric proposals, such as taking over Greenland (26%-70%), renaming the Gulf of Mexico (31%-67%), and reviving control of the Panama Canal (39%-57%), have largely failed to win public favor. Closing the Department of Education also faces considerable opposition, with 65% of voters rejecting the idea.

Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helped conduct the survey, commented, "Trump’s more flamboyant ideas about expanding U.S. territories and holdings have limited public support, so much so that one wonders if they are simply designed to rattle some cages. But on some of his more specific cultural and social policies, there is substantial support across a broad range of constituencies."

Partisan Divide: Unsurprisingly, Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided on Trump’s proposals. Yet, the top three issues—banning transgender women from women’s sports, making English the official language, and deporting illegal immigrants—remain consistent among both groups, albeit with vastly different levels of support.

Interestingly, while deporting illegal immigrants is a popular stance, two-thirds of voters, including a majority of Democrats (89%) and Independents (71%), believe that children born to illegal immigrants in the U.S. should automatically receive citizenship. This viewpoint has gained 20 points in support over the last 15 years.

Broader Concerns: The poll also revealed significant apprehension about Trump’s use of executive actions. Nearly 7 in 10 voters worry that his decisions could permanently alter the country’s checks and balances system—a sentiment eerily similar to concerns raised during Barack Obama’s presidency.

Economic Impact: Tariffs are seen largely as harmful, with 53% of voters believing they hurt the economy and 69% saying they make products more expensive. While tariffs on China enjoy majority approval (55%), those on Mexico (56% oppose) and Canada (61% oppose) are less popular.

Survey Methodology: Conducted from March 14-17, 2025, the Fox News poll surveyed 994 registered voters through a mix of live interviews, cellphone calls, and online questionnaires. The margin of error for the full sample is ±3 percentage points, with higher sampling errors for subgroups.