AAPI Poll Shows Democratic Advantage on Economy, Immigration Ahead of Midterms/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults increasingly trust Democrats over Republicans on major issues, according to a new AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll. Only about one-quarter approve of President Donald Trump’s overall performance, while roughly 2 in 10 approve of his handling of the economy. Despite Democrats’ advantage on policy, views of the party remain divided as economic pressures and election concerns shape attitudes ahead of November.
Quick Look
- Trump approval: About one-quarter of AAPI adults approve of his job performance.
- Economic dissatisfaction: Roughly 2 in 10 approve of Trump’s economic leadership, down about 10 percentage points this year.
- Democratic advantage: Democrats hold an approximately 20-point trust advantage on the economy and immigration.
- Mixed party views: Democrats receive favorable ratings from 44% and unfavorable ratings from 48%.
- Leading priorities: About 9 in 10 identify the economy as a major election issue; roughly 8 in 10 cite living costs.
- Survey scope: The poll surveyed 1,023 AAPI adults Sept. 8-15, with a margin of sampling error of ±4.7 percentage points.
Deep Look
AAPI Adults Grow More Critical of Trump and Republicans
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults have become increasingly dissatisfied with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to a new AP-NORC/AAPI Data survey.
Democrats now hold a substantial advantage in trust on several major issues, including the economy and health care.
The survey, conducted Sept. 8-15, found that approximately one-quarter of AAPI adults approve of Trump’s overall job performance. Only about 2 in 10 approve of his handling of the economy.
The findings reflect the views of AAPI adults broadly, rather than only registered or likely voters.
Even as Republicans lose ground, however, the results show that Democrats have not secured broadly favorable views of their party.
Economy and Living Costs Dominate Election Priorities
About 9 in 10 AAPI adults consider the economy one of the most important issues in the upcoming election. Approximately 8 in 10 say the same about the cost of living.
Health care follows closely, with roughly 7 in 10 identifying it as a leading concern.
By comparison, about half place foreign policy, crime, immigration, election fairness or climate change among the most important issues.
Rebecca Larocco, a 45-year-old Korean American from Corning, Iowa, voted for Trump in 2016 and is leaning Republican in the midterms. She supports his immigration policies but expressed uncertainty about his economic leadership as the Iran war contributes to higher gasoline prices.
“Where I’m at, it’s went up almost $1.50 (a gallon),” she said. “I didn’t expect to go into war at all, that has been definitely unexpected and I’m not sure… I’m just hoping they’ll do what they’re saying and get our economy back on track, get immigration and crime lowered.”
Trump’s Economic Approval Falls Over the Year
Trump’s approval on the economy among AAPI adults has declined by approximately 10 percentage points over the course of the year.
His broader favorability has also weakened. Shortly after the 2024 election, about 4 in 10 AAPI adults viewed him somewhat or very favorably. That share is now approximately 3 in 10.
“What the data show is that any gains that he made not only during the 2024 election — there was a bit of a honeymoon period that Trump enjoyed after the election before Inauguration Day — that has now largely disappeared,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and executive director of AAPI Data.
For some respondents, economic priorities matter more than party affiliation.
Len Takahashi, 57, a Japanese American living in Universal City, Texas, describes himself as conservative. He voted Democratic in the past three presidential elections but Republican in midterm elections.
This year, he said he is open to candidates who focus on the economy.
“I would like policies that look in the best interest of the American public,” Takahashi said. “That could be bringing down spending, a balanced budget of U.S. spending, bringing down inflation, working towards a more stable economy and, lastly, just a better atmosphere between the far left and far right.”
Democrats Build Trust Advantage on Economy and Immigration
The shift toward Democrats is especially clear on the economy and immigration.
In March 2025, AAPI adults were evenly divided over which party would better manage those issues. Democrats now have a roughly 20-percentage-point advantage on both.
Views of Republicans are largely negative. Around two-thirds of AAPI adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable impression of the GOP, while approximately one-quarter view it favorably.
Democrats’ improved standing on specific policies has not translated into an overall favorable image.
The survey found that 48% of AAPI adults view the Democratic Party unfavorablycompared with 44% who view it favorably.
A separate September AP-NORC survey of registered voters similarly found substantial dissatisfaction with Trump and Republicans alongside limited confidence in either party’s ability to solve major problems.
Respondents Express Frustration With Both Parties
Louise Rider, a 40-year-old Chicago Democrat, said she trusts Democrats more across the issues but remains dissatisfied with the party’s performance.
“I don’t think the Democrats are doing great, I think they need a lot of change as a party,” she said. “It’s kind of a helpless feeling, that nothing will get done with both parties unless there’s major changes.”
Other respondents continue to support Trump while questioning congressional Republicans’ results.
James Finley, 74, of Lenox, Massachusettswhose ancestry includes Japanese heritage, said the president cannot be expected to lower prices immediately.
But he believes Republicans could have accomplished more with their congressional majority.
“They’ve had the majority for a couple of years,” Finley said. “I think they could have done a little bit more or maybe a lot more in terms of passing certain things that I wanted to pass.”
He nevertheless remains aligned with Republicans, saying “all I ever hear from Democrats is to get Trump”.
Election Misinformation and Voting Access Raise Concerns
Many AAPI adults also expressed concern about election fairness, misinformation and challenges to November’s results.
About half consider it a “major problem” when eligible people are prevented from voting. Approximately two-thirds describe foreign governments’ attempts to influence election outcomes as a major problem.
Looking specifically at the midterms, about half are extremely or very concerned about false information concerning candidates. A similar share expressed that level of concern about legal challenges to the results.
Finley questioned whether election procedures could adequately prevent undocumented or unregistered people from attempting to vote. His comments reflected his concerns rather than evidence presented by the survey of such activity.
Takahashi expressed a different worry: that Trump could try to manipulate perceptions of the election if Republicans perform poorly.
He said Trump might amplify claims of “fraud in the election system” if the outcome does not favor him.
“(He’ll) make that a point to distract the American public,” Takahashi said.
How the AP-NORC/AAPI Data Poll Was Conducted
The survey interviewed 1,023 U.S. adults who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander from Sept. 8-15.
Respondents were drawn from NORC’s probability-based Amplify AAPI Panel, which is designed to represent those populations.
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is ±4.7 percentage points.
The poll is part of an ongoing project examining communities whose views are often difficult to assess in other national surveys because of small sample sizes and limited linguistic representation.
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