Key findings of the AP-NORC poll on Trump’s budget

WASHINGTON – Americans have mixed views of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

They are more likely to favour than oppose increased spending for the military and border patrol, along with decreased foreign aid spending. They overwhelmingly support increased spending on veterans. But most oppose decreased spending on scientific and medical research, new spending for a Mexican border wall and decreased spending on the environment.

Key findings:

—Most Americans oppose new spending for a wall along the Mexican border, 58 per cent to 28 per cent. Eighty-six per cent of Democrats and 57 per cent of independents are opposed. Republicans favour funding the wall by a 54 per cent to 26 per cent margin.

—In contrast to their views on the wall, 50 per cent of Americans favour and 32 per cent oppose increased spending on border patrol. Eighty per cent of Republicans and 49 per cent of independents, but just 26 per cent of Democrats, favour increased border patrol spending

—Most oppose decreasing spending on scientific and medical research, 64 per cent to 19 per cent. Opposition to this proposal crosses party lines, including 78 per cent of Democrats, 58 per cent of independents and 51 per cent of Republicans.

—The most popular proposal by far in the Trump budget is increasing spending on Veterans Affairs, supported by 74 per cent of Americans and opposed by just 8 per cent. Large majorities across party lines favour greater funding for veterans.

—By 50 per cent to 30 per cent margin, more favour than opposed decreased spending on foreign aid. Majorities of Republicans (72 per cent) and independents (54 per cent) want to decrease foreign aid, but just 30 per cent of Democrats agree.

—More favour than oppose increasing spending on defence and the military, 47 per cent to 34 per cent. Seventy-five per cent of Republicans but just 40 per cent of independents and 26 per cent of Democrats are in favour.

—Most Americans also oppose decreasing spending on the environment and for fighting climate change. About half of Republicans (49 per cent) favour decreasing spending on the environment, compared with just 27 per cent of independents and 11 per cent of Democrats. Americans are more likely to oppose than favour cutting spending for public television, radio and the arts, 44 per cent to 32 per cent.

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,110 adults was conducted March 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

Interviews were conducted online and using landlines and cellphones.

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Online:

AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/