ObamaCare has never, ever been more popular

For the first time since Gallup started asking about general approval or disapproval of the Affordable Care Act in November 2012, the 2010 health-care overhaul is viewed favorably by a majority of Americans, Gallup reported Tuesday. And the 55 percent approval number is all the more dramatic because just five months ago, only 42 percent of Americans approved of ObamaCare, versus 53 percent who disapproved.
The rise in approval comes from Democrats, Republicans, and especially independents, whose approval rose 17 points since President Trump's election, to 57 percent from 40 percent. So what changed in five months? "Trump vehemently attacked the Affordable Care Act during his presidential campaign — and in the days immediately following his election, the public appeared to agree with him," Gallup said. "However, in the five months since, as Republicans' efforts to replace the law with one of their own have failed to get off the ground, enough Americans have changed their minds about the ACA to create a majority favoring it for the first time."
Trump and House Republicans have started meeting again this week to try and reach agreement on their ObamaCare replacement bill, which House leaders pulled from an imminent vote when it became clear it would fail. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released Tuesday, a 63 percent majority thinks it's a "good thing" that the bill, the American Health Care Act, crashed. Almost half of those people said it's good because the ACHA did not fully repeal ObamaCare, but 75 percent of respondents — including majorities of every group polled — said that given the choice, Trump and the GOP should try to make ObamaCare work rather than make it fail, as Trump has threatened to do.
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.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found opinions about ObamaCare split evenly, with 46 percent in favor and opposed, and there's a pretty broad consensus on who is responsible for the Affordable Care Act going forward: A 61 percent majority say Trump and the GOP are responsible for any problems with the law, while 31 percent say former President Barack Obama and his party still own ObamaCare. You can find more results at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
Store closings could accelerate throughout 2025
Under the Radar Major brands like Macy's and Walgreens are continuing to shutter stores
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published