A recent Economist/YouGov poll indicates that nearly 50 percent of registered voters feel the Supreme Court favors President Donald Trump. The poll was conducted from September 4-8 among 1,469 registered voters and shows 44 percent believe the Court is biased towards Trump. Only 12 percent think it is biased against him. Meanwhile, 27 percent believe the Court is impartial in its treatment of Trump, and 18 percent remain unsure. The poll’s margin of error is 3.4 percent.
Partisan differences are evident. Among those who supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, 81 percent view the Court as biased in Trump’s favor, compared to just 9 percent of Trump supporters. Among Democrats, 77 percent feel the Court favors Trump. On the other hand, 20 percent of Republicans think the Court is biased against Trump and about half say it treats him fairly. For independents, 44 percent think the Court favors Trump, 23 percent say it treats him fairly and 8 percent view it as biased against him.
On Wednesday, Newsweek emailed the Supreme Court for comment on these findings.
What To Know
The recent survey also highlights a decline in the Supreme Court’s overall approval. Currently, 56 percent of registered voters disapprove of the Court’s performance, while 34 percent approve. This marks a drop from July, when 50 percent disapproved and 36 percent approved. Additionally, those describing the Court as conservative increased from 44 percent in July to 49 percent in the latest poll, with a slight rise in those calling it liberal from 9 percent to 10 percent.
This poll emerges as the Court navigates several politically sensitive election-related cases ahead of the upcoming November midterms. The Court recently refused to reinstate a Republican-supported congressional district map in Missouri and issued decisions impacting the Trump administration and Republican campaign strategies. With voters split over the Court’s ideological stance and its association with Trump, forthcoming decisions may further influence public opinion.
The survey also shows that 47 percent believe recent Supreme Court rulings have afforded Trump excessive power. Thirty percent feel the rulings grant him the right amount of power, 8 percent think too little power, and 15 percent remain unsure. In addition, 73 percent opine the president must always comply with Court orders, even if disagreed upon. Eleven percent disagreed, and 16 percent were unable to decide. This question was posed to half of the survey’s participants.
The July Economist/YouGov poll revealed divided opinions on individual Supreme Court justices. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was viewed favorably by 23 percent and unfavorably by 38 percent. Justice Clarence Thomas had a 29 percent favorable and 41 percent unfavorable rating. Chief Justice John Roberts received a 25 percent favorable and 36 percent unfavorable rating, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was seen positively by 34 percent and negatively by 26 percent. A drop in the favorability of Justices Thomas, Barrett, and Kavanaugh suggests changing public perception of the Court.
For further information, contact Newsweek editors Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas.
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