Cygnal survey shows 5-point favorability lead for congressional Rs, but tariff-related warning signs loom
Congressional Democrats remain in the dumps with voters nationally as they grapple with President Donald Trump’s opening months in office, according to a new poll.
The fresh survey figures from research company Cygnal show that 55 percent of American voters view congressional Democrats unfavorably, up nearly 3 points since January and 1 point since March. Just 39.5 percent have a favorable view of Democrats in Congress, the poll found.
While both parties in Congress are underwater with voters, Republicans enjoy a higher favorability rating: 44.4 percent, a half-point increase from March. And 51.5 percent of American voters have an unfavorable view of congressional Republicans, down a half-point from March but up nearly 2 points since January.
The survey was conducted between April 1-3, a period that overlapped with President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement. In addition to the congressional favorability numbers, the poll found that 43.6 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the “right direction,” a significant jump from the 27.3 percent who said the same in January 2025, former president Joe Biden’s final month in office.
Still, there are signs that the market woes that followed Trump’s tariff announcement will hurt Republicans in the coming weeks.
Inflation and the economy remains at the top of voters’ list of priorities, according to the poll, and 49.5 percent of respondents indicated they agree with the statement that “Tariffs will raise the cost of goods in the US and cause lingering inflation, which is a bad idea.” While 30.6 percent indicated support for the tariffs, 14.4 percent resonated with the statement, “Not sure I like the idea of tariffs, but I trust the President to do the right thing on international trade.” Trump issued a 90-day pause on his tariff scheme for most countries—and a hike on China’s tariff rate—on Wednesday afternoon.
On the international front, the poll also found that while U.S. support for Israel remained strong, Muslim Americans were a significant exception. Though they only represented 18 people of the poll’s 1,500 person sample size, the results were notable. Of Muslim Americans surveyed, a full 76 percent said they believed Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attacks against Israel were justified, while just 17 percent said they were “unjustified.” An additional 7 percent were unsure.
The survey also asked respondents, “In the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, do you believe the United States should be more supportive of Israel, more supportive of Hamas, or remain neutral?” Half of American Muslims polled said the United States should be more supportive of Hamas, while just 20 percent said the United States should be more supportive of Israel. Another 30 percent said the United States should remain neutral.
While Republicans have undivided control of government, their hold in the House is precarious. Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) commands a slim and often fractious conference. The current 220-213 margin allows for a loss of just three Republicans on any given vote, should Democrats be united in opposition.
