Trump’s taxpayer projects sink approval, Navigator poll shows

Navigator poll – A Navigator Research survey finds widespread opposition to President Donald Trump’s recent moves—from a UFC night at his 80th birthday celebrations to taxpayer-funded displays and renovations—while voters say they want him and Republicans in Congress focused o

President Donald Trump turned 80 and spent the occasion watching Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters trade brutal blows for his amusement—another moment some voters see as signaling what his second term prioritizes.

A survey released Monday by Navigator Research. a Democratic-aligned nonprofit. found that Trump’s authoritarian-tinged aesthetics are not being treated as harmless spectacle. They are weighing on his already-low approval. and—crucially—feeding a belief that he is focused on nearly anything other than the economic concerns voters say should lead the agenda.

The poll put sharp numbers around that mismatch. Fifty-six percent of registered voters opposed Trump hosting last night’s UFC event, while 28% supported it. Even with opposition outweighing support, that was described as among the more popular parts of Trump’s recent streak of moves.

Navigator’s findings show how quickly the political tailwinds fade when the public is asked to judge a series of highly visible. Trump-branded decisions. Unveiling a 22-foot gold statue of himself at Mar-a-Lago came in at a net -44. Putting Trump’s face on passports and a theoretical $250 bill landed at -38. Awarding a no-bid contract to repaint the Reflecting Pool scored -36. Constructing a 250-foot triumphal arch measured -34.

But it was Trump’s plan to tear down the East Wing of the White House—aimed at building a ballroom with $1 billion in taxpayer money—that produced the sharpest backlash. A full 65% of registered voters opposed the ballroom, with 22% in support.

In focus groups conducted by Navigator, swing voters reportedly described the project as a window into who gets ahead. Melissa Toufanian. the managing director of Navigator Research. said. “The ballroom is such a representation of how the elite and those around the president are getting ahead. while average people are struggling to get by. ” adding. “It’s an example of that mismatching prioritization. when people want the president to focus on inflation and the cost of living. and what they’re seeing is everything but that.”.

Navigator’s survey also asked voters what they believe the president and Republicans in Congress should be doing. Fifty-eight percent of registered voters said it was important for the president and Republicans in Congress to focus on inflation and the cost of living. Only 20% of the public thought that was what Trump and the GOP were working on.

That disconnect shows up even among voters who describe themselves as aligned with MAGA. In that group, 31% said the ballroom showed Trump was focused on the wrong things, 29% said the gold statues did, and 24% said putting his face on passports and the theoretical $250 bill did.

When voters were asked why Trump’s actions concerned them, they gave mixed answers: wasting taxpayer dollars, enabling corruption, and making bad decisions for the country all attracted support.

The poll’s overall verdict was stark. Navigator found Trump’s net approval rating at -18, and at -23 on economic issues. Only 20% of the public approved of Trump’s handling of gas prices, with even MAGA-aligned Republicans negative on his performance.

Even where Democrats have an edge on economic issues, it does not appear to be crushing. Voters preferred Democrats on gas prices by only a 37% to 32% margin and backed Democrats on inflation by just 38% to 34%.

The survey by Global Strategy Group—a Democratic polling firm—was conducted among 1,000 registered voters from June 4 to June 8. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Donald Trump Navigator Research UFC Mar-a-Lago East Wing White House ballroom Reflecting Pool gold statue passports inflation cost of living gas prices approval rating