Photo credit: thehill.com

Congressional Leaders’ Popularity Declines Ahead of Key Political Battles

Recent polling indicates that the nation’s top congressional leaders are experiencing significant unpopularity, raising concerns as they prepare for crucial negotiations over federal spending and President Trump’s policy initiatives.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are all struggling with low favorability ratings, as highlighted in a new CNN/SSRS poll.

The poll, released recently, reveals that none of these leaders scored higher than 23 percent in favorable ratings. A significant majority of respondents, 60 percent, disapprove of the leadership within the GOP, while 70 percent express discontent with the Democratic leadership.

Interestingly, the survey suggests that Johnson, Jeffries, and Thune, who have all recently assumed their leadership roles, are largely unfamiliar to the general public. Among those who are aware of them, negative perceptions outweigh positive ones.

For instance, 43 percent of respondents indicated they had never heard of or had no opinion about Johnson, a figure that includes 38 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Johnson was appointed to his position in 2023 amid considerable turmoil within the GOP caucus.

Similarly, over half of the respondents (52 percent) reported never having heard of Jeffries, who took over leadership of the House Democrats in 2023 from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). This includes 47 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents surveyed.

Thune, who became the Senate GOP’s leading figure in November after long-time leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stepped down, is the least recognized among the four. A striking 61 percent of respondents had no knowledge of him, including 57 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning independents.

Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since 2017, had the highest recognition rate, yet still, 39 percent of respondents indicated they had never heard of him or had no opinion.

The four congressional leaders are set to play critical roles in upcoming floor debates leading into the 2026 midterm elections, especially as Trump calls for passing significant legislation to support his agenda, including a “big, beautiful bill” to further his initiatives. Notably, all their unfavorable ratings have risen since earlier polling conducted in January.

Approximately a third of respondents expressed an unfavorable view of Johnson (32 percent), while only 23 percent viewed him positively. Jeffries received an unfavorable rating of 27 percent compared to 20 percent who rated him favorably. Thune fared similarly, garnering 24 percent unfavorable to 16 percent favorable, and Schumer’s unfavorable rating stood at 44 percent versus 19 percent favorable.

When responses were classified by party affiliation, favorable views slightly outnumbered unfavorable ones for each leader. Among Republicans and right-leaning independents, Johnson boasted a 51 percent favorability rating compared to a mere 10 percent unfavorable. Meanwhile, Jeffries received favorable ratings from 42 percent of Democrats and left-leaning independents, with only 11 percent viewing him unfavorably. Thune was favored by 34 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 8 percent expressing unfavorable views.

Democrats and left-leaning independents held divided opinions on Schumer, with 31 percent favorable and 30 percent unfavorable.

The latest polling comes in the wake of Trump’s own declining approval ratings, marking a tumultuous first 100 days of his second term. This period is usually significant for assessing a president’s early performance.

Numerous polling organizations have reported shifts in Trump’s approval ratings since his return to the Oval Office, prompting him to criticize pollsters. In a recent post on Truth Social, he claimed, “These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD” and singled out several prominent media outlets. He further accused these organizations of lacking credibility following significant victories in past elections despite their predictions.

The CNN poll surveyed 1,678 adults nationwide from April 17 to April 24, with a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points. For results segmented by party affiliation, the margin of error climbs to approximately 4.4 percentage points.

Source
thehill.com