Republicans rate Trump strongest on immigration in new AP-NORC poll

Republicans gave Donald Trump his strongest marks on immigration in a June 5-9 AP-NORC Center poll of 1,158 adults, a 4-point snapshot that showed border politics still anchoring his standing inside the GOP. The same survey found softer Republican confidence on the economy and the Iran crisis, reinforcing that Trump’s coalition remains more unified on immigration enforcement than on national security or pocketbook management.

That pattern was visible earlier in the year as well. On March 31, AP-NORC reported that Trump scored better marks with the public on immigration than on the economy, with perceptions of his performance described as mixed and weaker than during his first term. By December 11, AP-NORC said approval of Trump’s handling of both the economy and immigration had fallen about 10 points since March, even as border security remained his best issue at 50% approval. The trajectory suggested that immigration was still his clearest political asset, but not a static one.

The June poll also framed why Iran mattered as more than a foreign-policy headline. National-security fights often serve as tests of presidential leadership, yet Republicans were less certain about Trump’s handling of the confrontation with Iran than they were about immigration. Reuters reported on June 23, 2025 that Americans worried the conflict with Iran could escalate, and AP-NORC later said many Americans viewed the war with Iran as not worth fighting. That mix of concern and partisan sorting left Trump with a familiar advantage among Republicans, but a narrower one than on the border.

The broader data pointed to a coalition that rewarded Trump unevenly. In AP-NORC’s June 2026 summary, Republicans largely approved of his handling of Iran, immigration, Israel and the economy, while most Democrats and independents disapproved. On June 12, AP-NORC said independent support for Trump had dropped sharply since the 2024 campaign, falling from 43% during the election to about a quarter. Another AP-NORC report on July 17, 2025 found people were more likely to say Trump’s policies had hurt them than helped them, a warning sign for candidates trying to align themselves with the White House without inheriting every weakness. For Republican lawmakers and White House strategists alike, immigration remained the issue most likely to unify the party, while the economy and Iran exposed where that support was thinner.