OPINION: Majority in Poll Support DOGE

The latest Harvard-Harris poll — taken Feb. 19-20, with results issued Feb. 24 — found 72 percent of Americans say they support having a U.S. government agency devoted to efficiency efforts. It also found that 60 percent say that President Donald Trump’s White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making major cuts to expenditures. That includes 67 percent of independents, 60 percent of Democrats. and 89 percent of Republicans who think there should be an agency devoted to efficiency; and 57 percent of independents, 37 percent of Democrats, and 85 percent of Republicans who feel DOGE is making big cuts to spending. And 59 percent say they support cutting expenditures that were already allocated by Congress, including 55 percent of independents, 35 percent of Democrats, and 85 percent of Republicans. The poll also found 52 percent want DOGE to be looking at every item on the federal budget, including 47 percent of independents, 32 percent of Democrats, and 76 percent of Republicans. There is a caveat: 58 percent of poll respondents want to ensure that personal, sensitive information of Americans is restricted, including 63 percent of independents, 75 percent of Democrats, and 39 percent of Republicans. On that count, federal law already protects the personal information of Americans, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and tax records — safeguards that apply to all government employees who are accessing them. So, there might not be too much that Congress needs to do there, since personal information of those legitimately receiving government benefits is already restricted in terms of public disclosure. But the White House might wish to remind the American people of how information is handled, whether by the Department of Treasury, the Social Security Administration, etc. in performing audits. It’s still good news for President Trump. As it turns out, when the president leads and focuses on cutting wasteful spending in the federal government, it is quite popular with the American people. In the same poll, 52 percent of Americans say they support the job President Trump is doing, which includes the efforts by DOGE, situated in the White House, to tackle wasteful spending. That includes 45 percent of independents, 18 percent of Democrats, and 89 percent of Republicans who say they approve of Trump’s handling of his job. These are by far the best approval numbers for Trump that has ever experienced since he became a politician in 2015, and affirms his win of the popular vote in the 2024 election. This is a mandate — and with a clearly articulated mission to limit the size and scope of government, it gives President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress a lot of political capital to spend as eyes begin turning toward the budget process underway in the House and Senate. As much as voters like what Trump and DOGE are doing, they want Congress to have a role in setting spending priorities, with 58 percent saying they want Congress to determine how the government spends its money. But only 51 percent say they trust Congress to do so, with 49 percent saying the president. In other words, voters want Trump to lead Congress in his crusade against wasteful spending. They want Congress to opt into that quest when they undertake the budget process. That is a clear signal to House Speaker Mike Johson (R–Louisiana) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–South Dakota) to get serious about the budget — including with the cuts being proposed by Trump and DOGE. The poll found 67 percent say that the $36 trillion national debt is unsustainable, including 74 percent of independents, 66 percent of Democrats, and 63 percent of Republicans. And 83 percent say the government should make moves to balance the budget, calling it realistic, including 79 percent of independents, 76 percent of Democrats, and 92 percent of Republicans. Voters want the government to act. To get there, though, will require difficult choices but some are not so difficult in the public’s eyes. For example, 81 percent support deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, including 80 percent of independents, 70 percent of Democrats, and 92 percent of Republicans.        

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Robert Romano is the VP of public policy at Americans for Limited Government, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that says it is dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government, allowing individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.