Solid majority of Americans oppose Trump's Muslim ban, new poll finds


A solid majority of Americans, 57 percent, oppose Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's plan for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the U.S., with 46 percent saying they strongly oppose it, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. Only 25 percent of respondents favored the plan, but the split was more even among Republican primary voters — 39 percent opposed it and 38 percent supported it (27 percent strongly supported it; 23 percent strongly opposed it). A Bloomberg poll released Wednesday found support for Trump's plan at 65 percent among Republicans.
The controversial anti-Muslim proposal hasn't changed Trump's favorability numbers much since the last WSJ/NBC poll in late October — among all respondents, 59 percent view him negatively (including nearly half who view him very negatively), while 27 percent view him favorably. Among GOP primary voters, a bare majority, 51 percent, view Trump favorably, versus 26 percent who see him negatively.
Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster who helps oversee the survey, compared Trump to America's 40th president. "Donald Trump has been the most successful candidate in driving the dialogue and defining the stakes since Ronald Reagan in 1980," he said. "The party elite fears him, the public is transfixed by him, and the core Trump voter reveres him. The Trump candidacy has defied political logic and the gravity of civil discourse."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Along with the partisan split, there are big age and gender gaps regarding Trump. Young people were less likely to have positive feelings about him (19 percent, age 18-34), versus 35 percent of those 50 to 64 and 32 percent of those 65 and up. Women are similarly less inclined to view Trump favorably, 22 percent, versus men, 32 percent. The poll was conducted Dec. 6-9 among 1,000 adults, with a margin of error of ± 3.1 points; the questions on Trump's Muslim visit ban were asked Dec. 8-9 and have a margin of error of ± 4.4 points. You can read more at The Wall Street Journal and NBC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Children's health has declined in the US
The Explainer It's likely a sign of larger systemic issues
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters