New polling shows the GOP what messaging strategies have resonated most with voters, giving the party a pathway ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections.
GOP Pollster Chris Wilson, the CEO of Eyes Over, shared a slide deck with Politico offering a framework for Republicans on several key issues, including tariffs and immigration, for the elections.
On tariffs, Wilson advises that GOP messaging should be “framed as part of a broader strategy to rebuild American industry, not as an end in themselves,” noting those messages land well with voters. He advises that they should message that “tariffs aren’t permanent—they’re pressure that works.” Wilson advises Republicans to avoid discussing tariffs as “the sole economic strategy.”
President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, announced earlier this month, would impose tariffs on many countries, in addition to a baseline tariff rate of 10%. After the markets tanked, he paused the higher tariff rates on all countries, except China, citing enthusiasm from dozens of countries to negotiate trade deals.
Tariffs have been a sore spot for Trump in recent polling, with 52% of adults saying they strongly or somewhat oppose them, while only 27% strongly or somewhat favor tariffs, per an Associated Press-NORC poll. The survey also shows 59% of adults think Trump has gone too far with his tariff policy.
Wilson said that GOP messaging on immigration is working, and Republicans should continue to emphasize that they have been making good on their election promises. Wilson also advised Republicans to “shine a spotlight on Democrat[ic] opposition to Trump’s proposals like No Tax on Tips, Overtime, and Social Security” and “frame it as a betrayal of the working class.”
Polls have largely shown that Trump’s approval ratings on immigration have been positive through the first few months of his second term. However, an Economist-YouGov poll this week showed the president’s ratings on immigration have slipped below 50%.
Policies such as No Tax on Tips are popular in polling, and Republicans have sought to push the extension of the Trump tax cuts and other agenda items through a bill that Congress will likely consider when it returns from recess next week.
On messaging that doesn’t help Republicans, Wilson warns that Democrats’ framing of tariffs as “unstable and risky” has undermined the GOP’s messages on deregulation. He also warns Republicans against “legalistic or procedural arguments” on deportations, instead arguing voters want action. Isolationist foreign policy claims made by Democrats have also undermined GOP messaging, per Wilson.
Trump’s economic approval ratings are generally higher than his job approval ratings. Still, recent polls have indicated tariffs have hampered the president’s rating on one of his signature campaign issues. A CBS News poll from last week showed that Trump’s economic approval rating was down to 44% after being at 51% at the beginning of last month. Data presented by Wilson also showed that the top-performing posts from Trump and Republicans centered on clear action on immigration.
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Earlier this week, the Progressive Change Institute and Data for Progress offered messaging advice to Democrats for the 2026 elections, centering on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and its efforts to cut waste in the government.
The two groups’ most popular approach was to claim DOGE was taking the wrong approach to cutting government waste and exploiting fears of cuts to programs like Social Security.
