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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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President Donald Trump's newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill is facing strong public backlash, with new polling showing that his approval rating for the sweeping measure has dropped underwater just days after he signed it into law.
According to new YouGov/Economist polling, conducted July 4-7 among 1,528 adults, a majority of Americans—53 percent—say they strongly or somewhat oppose Trump's budget, compared to 35 percent who support it.
Opposition has climbed by 10 percentage points since April, when the plan was unveiled. For comparison, after Trump's first-term budget passed in 2017, public opinion was split by a slightly narrower margin of 41 percent opposed to 28 percent in favor.
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Why It Matters
Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4. The bill's controversial provisions include cuts to Medicaid and increased immigration enforcement funding.
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What To Know
Other polls have also revealed widespread opposition to the bill.
A Quinnipiac poll conducted June 22-24 found that 55 percent of Americans oppose it. A Fox News survey from June 13-16 put opposition even higher, at 59 percent. Meanwhile, a KFF poll from June 4-8 showed the strongest pushback, with 64 percent saying they disapproved of the legislation.
YouGov's polling revealed some insight as to why. It showed that 52 percent of Americans—80 percent of Democrats and 22 percent of Republicans—believe the federal budget deficit will increase as a result of the bill. Just 11 percent think the deficit will stay the same, while 19 percent believe it will decrease.
And when asked how the budget will affect everyday Americans, 52 percent said they expect it will hurt the average American "a lot" or "a little." Only 28 percent think the plan will help, while 9 percent say it won't have much impact. Slightly fewer respondents—42 percent—believe they and their immediate families will be personally hurt by the budget, while 24 percent expect to benefit and 18 percent think it won't affect them much.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over the next 10 years, but Republicans and the White House dispute the figures.
Medicaid In The Crosshairs
One of the biggest flashpoints is the bill's projected impact on Medicaid. Sixty-seven percent of Americans expect it decrease funding for Medicaid, while only 6 percent think funding will increase. Republicans are far less likely than Democrats to expect cuts: 49 percent of Republicans anticipate cuts compared to 87 percent of Democrats.
According to new estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill will cut roughly $1.1 trillion in health care spending and result in 11.8 million people losing Medicaid health insurance over the next decade.
Like Medicaid, SNAP will also undergo funding changes. Under the new law, the federal government will continue to fund SNAP, but states will now have to share some of the cost if their payment error rate is 6 percent or higher, starting in 2028—two years after the next midterm elections. States with a very high error rate of 13.34 percent or more can delay the cost-sharing for an extra two years.
But the poll shows that support for cutting major social programs remains low. Very few Americans back reducing or eliminating funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or SNAP. The largest share in favor of any cuts is 20 percent who support reducing SNAP. By contrast, majorities want funding increased for Social Security (61 percent) and Medicare (56 percent), with nearly half (49 percent) also supporting more Medicaid funding.
Yet, while many Americans want to protect Medicaid, there is broader bipartisan support for tougher eligibility rules. Fifty-one percent favor adding work requirements for childless, non-disabled adults to receive Medicaid, while 33 percent are opposed.
Under the law, adults between the ages of 19 and 64 will need to work at least 80 hours a month to qualify for Medicaid coverage, unless they qualify for certain exemptions. Some adults will be exempt from the new work requirements if they have dependent children or have certain medical conditions.
The bill also tightens work requirements for SNAP. Previously, adults had to work until age 54 to keep their benefits unless they were parents with dependents. Now, the age limit has been raised to 64, and only parents with children under 14 are exempt.
Deep Divides On Health Care
The numbers highlight how divided the country remains over the health care system as a whole. More Americans view the U.S. health care system unfavorably (56 percent) than favorably (33 percent).
Satisfaction is highest among people covered by Medicare (49 percent) or Medicaid (47 percent)—far higher than for those with employer-based insurance (29 percent).
What Happens Next
Medicaid's funding changes under the law are not scheduled to take effect until 2028.
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