Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only one who’s seen his shadow this week. These days, every day is Groundhog Day for Donald Trump and his Republican allies as they face a tsunami of dismal poll numbers — especially on health care affordability. Poll after poll demonstrates that Americans, regardless of political party affiliation, are extremely worried about not being able to see a doctor or afford their prescriptions after Trump and the GOP made the biggest cuts to health care in living memory. The cost of health care is now the top pocketbook concern for Americans — more pressing than groceries, rent, or electricity. In a midterm election year, how much longer will Trump and the GOP continue their wildly unpopular scheme of waging war on working families’ health care while doling out tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations? The American people don’t want six more weeks of winter, and they certainly can’t afford another year of the GOP health care price hikes.
TOPLINES
🎩 Pew Research: The Cost of Health Care, Goods and Housing Are Top Economic Concerns for Americans
- 71% of American adults are very concerned about the cost of health care — an even greater percentage than those worried about the cost of food and consumer goods (66%) or housing costs (62%).
- 72% of American adults rate Trump’s economy as only poor or fair.
🎩 KFF Health Tracking: Health Care Costs Top Public’s Concerns During Moment of Economic Anxiety
- Over two-thirds of voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle major health care issues like Medicaid, the ACA, and bringing down the cost of health care.
- 75% of voters say the cost of health care will impact how they vote in the midterms.
- Families worry more about affording health care than all other household expenses, including groceries, rent, and utilities.
- 55% of Americans say their health care costs have gone up in the past year, and 56% expect those cost increases to continue in the coming months.
- 67% of Americans say Republicans did the wrong thing by not extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.
🎩 Associated Press-NORC: Many Think Trump Has Done More Harm Than Good When It Comes to Job Creation, the Cost of Living, and the Cost of Health Care
- 52% of Americans say Trump has increased the cost of health care since taking office, and 57% say he’s raised the cost of living in the past year.
- 53% of Americans say the economy has gottten worse since Trump’s second term started.
- 52% of adults rate Trump’s second term presidential performance as poor or terrible.
🎩 Fox News: An Early Look at the 2026 Midterms
- Voters give Democrats a 21-point advantage over Republicans on handling health care.
- By 14 points, voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to improve affordability and support the middle class.
- Voters trust Democrats over Republicans by 16 points when it comes to vaccines.