Fox News Poll: Voters have concerns about DOGE, even as they see need for cuts

Voters have concerns about the recent government spending cuts executed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), even as they see the need for such an effort.

Most think the national debt is a crisis or major problem, and nearly 6 in 10 feel a great deal or almost all of government spending is “wasteful and inefficient,” according to a new Fox News national survey.

Yet a slim 51% majority opposes substantially shrinking the number of government employees, some 56% disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing identifying and reducing wasteful spending, and another 65% worry that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts.

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A sizable minority of Republicans (39%) share the concern of large numbers of Democrats (88%) and Independents (71%) about how the reductions are being implemented.

Forty percent approve of the job Elon Musk is doing working with DOGE, while 58% disapprove. Fully 93% of Democrats disapprove, along with 70% of Independents and 20% of Republicans.

When asked about funding for specific federal programs, majorities think the government should increase funding for Social Security (63%), Medicare and Medicaid (58%), and medical research (53%), while a large minority says the same about funding the military and national defense (44%). Sentiment is more mixed on humanitarian foreign aid, as 23% want to increase federal funding on aid, 36% would keep it at the same level as last year, and 39% want to decrease it. 

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Overall, one in four voters says someone in their family has been significantly affected by the government cuts, and among that group, 79% are concerned about how the cuts have been handled.

Voters also have doubts about tariffs, as majorities think the measures will make products that they buy more expensive (69%) and hurt the economy (53%). Views are divided on the job front, with 35% saying tariffs help protect U.S. jobs and 39% saying they hurt.

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The 53% saying tariffs hurt the economy is a new high, up from 50% in January and a low of 39% in 2024.

When asked about specific tariffs, voters favor imposing them on products from China (55%), while they oppose tariffs on Mexico (56%) and Canada (61%). 

On the overall economy, a growing number of voters think it is in bad shape, many think inflation is out of control, and most believe a recession is at least somewhat likely.

Views of the economy have soured since President Donald Trump began his second term, as 79% of voters give it negative marks, up from 70% two months ago. This increase in pessimism is largely due to a 35-point spike among Democrats plus an 18-point jump among Independents. In the same period, Republican assessment of the economy has shifted positively by 22 points.

At the end of December, at the tail end of former President Joe Biden’s term, 77% held a negative view of the economy.

Some 60% of voters rate their personal finances negatively, which is a touch better compared to 62% in December.

And while nearly half, 47%, continue to say inflation is “not at all” under control, that’s down from 56% in early 2023 (the last time the question was asked).

Seven in 10 say they expect a recession this year, including majorities of Democrats (93%) and Independents (72%), and half of Republicans (50%).

Those sentiments help explain why more than 4 in 10 identify inflation (27%) or the economy generally (16%) as the most important issues facing the country. Those beat the next most commonly mentioned issues: political divisions (14%), political leadership/corruption (10%), and immigration (8%). For reference, 3% cite government spending and 2% say tariffs. 

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“Even though partisans have adjusted their attitudes with the change in administrations, the public as a whole remains jittery about the economy,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The aggressiveness of Trump’s tariff policy and the pace of DOGE’s actions have spooked Democrats and many Independents. If Trump is to maintain broad public support, it’s imperative that his approach produces results.”  

Generally, 43% are satisfied with how things are going in the country. That’s up 12 points from 31% in December. Some 57% are unsatisfied, including 20% of Republicans. Voter dissatisfaction hit a high of 75% during Biden’s term (August 2022). In Trump’s first term, it peaked at 66% (August 2020).

Again, major post-inauguration partisan shifts are driving these changing numbers. The new survey shows the share of Democrats happy with the direction of the country dropped 33 points to 9% after Biden left office. And 80% of Republicans are satisfied now, up 55 points since Trump took office.

Trump started his first term with a 48% job approval rating (Feb. 2017). Today, his approval stands at a record 49%, which he also achieved once during his first term (April 2020). For comparison, Biden’s highest approval was 56% in June 2021. Currently, 92% of Democrats disapprove of Trump, while an equal number of Republicans approve (92%). Fully 97% of 2024 Trump supporters like the job he’s doing as president. 

Trump’s ratings are underwater by 13 points on the economy (43% approve – 56% disapprove) and by 18 points on inflation (40-58%). He receives his best marks on border security, as a 56% majority approves (43% disapprove).

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Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error associated with results among subgroup is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.