Prepared by Verasight

2026 Variety Survey

Survey results from a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18+.

2,000 respondents
April 21, 2026April 23, 2026
25 questions

Key Takeaways

Section I: Technology Executive Favorability

Q1

Tech Executive Favorability

How favorable or unfavorable is your opinion of each of the following technology executives?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "favorable" and "unfavorable" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X)
Very favorable
17%
Somewhat favorable
17%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
16%
Somewhat unfavorable
12%
Very unfavorable
35%
Not familiar with this person
2%
Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)
Very favorable
8%
Somewhat favorable
16%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
22%
Somewhat unfavorable
23%
Very unfavorable
29%
Not familiar with this person
2%
Sam Altman (OpenAI)
Very favorable
6%
Somewhat favorable
11%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
24%
Somewhat unfavorable
11%
Very unfavorable
17%
Not familiar with this person
31%
Tim Cook (Apple)
Very favorable
12%
Somewhat favorable
21%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
29%
Somewhat unfavorable
11%
Very unfavorable
8%
Not familiar with this person
18%
Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
Very favorable
11%
Somewhat favorable
20%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
23%
Somewhat unfavorable
19%
Very unfavorable
23%
Not familiar with this person
5%
Jensen Huang (Nvidia)
Very favorable
7%
Somewhat favorable
11%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
25%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
6%
Not familiar with this person
45%
Andy Jassy (Amazon)
Very favorable
7%
Somewhat favorable
14%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
23%
Somewhat unfavorable
8%
Very unfavorable
7%
Not familiar with this person
40%
Dario Amodei (Anthropic)
Very favorable
5%
Somewhat favorable
8%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
24%
Somewhat unfavorable
7%
Very unfavorable
7%
Not familiar with this person
50%

Demographic Crosstabs

Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very unfavorable32%37%
Somewhat favorable20%14%
Somewhat unfavorable10%15%
Very favorable22%13%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable15%18%
Not familiar with this person2%3%
Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very unfavorable30%27%
Somewhat unfavorable24%22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable18%26%
Somewhat favorable17%14%
Very favorable8%8%
Not familiar with this person2%3%
Sam Altman (OpenAI)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very unfavorable18%15%
Not familiar with this person21%40%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable24%24%
Somewhat unfavorable14%9%
Somewhat favorable16%7%
Very favorable7%5%
Tim Cook (Apple)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable27%30%
Somewhat favorable26%17%
Not familiar with this person10%25%
Somewhat unfavorable13%10%
Very unfavorable9%7%
Very favorable15%10%
Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very unfavorable22%23%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable21%25%
Somewhat unfavorable19%19%
Somewhat favorable24%17%
Very favorable13%9%
Not familiar with this person1%8%
Jensen Huang (Nvidia)
ResponseMaleFemale
Not familiar with this person32%57%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable29%22%
Somewhat favorable17%6%
Very unfavorable6%5%
Somewhat unfavorable7%6%
Very favorable10%4%
Andy Jassy (Amazon)
ResponseMaleFemale
Not familiar with this person33%46%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable25%22%
Somewhat favorable17%11%
Very unfavorable8%7%
Somewhat unfavorable9%8%
Very favorable7%7%
Dario Amodei (Anthropic)
ResponseMaleFemale
Not familiar with this person40%59%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable28%21%
Very unfavorable8%5%
Somewhat unfavorable8%5%
Somewhat favorable10%6%
Very favorable6%4%

Section III: Prediction Markets

Q2

Activity Frequency

How often, if at all, do you do each of the following activities?

(N = 2,000)
Drink alcohol
Never
29%
A few times a year
20%
About once a month
11%
A few times a month
18%
A few times a week
17%
Daily
5%
Bet on prediction markets
Never
80%
A few times a year
7%
About once a month
4%
A few times a month
4%
A few times a week
3%
Daily
2%
Gamble in a casino
Never
56%
A few times a year
28%
About once a month
5%
A few times a month
5%
A few times a week
3%
Daily
2%
Bet on sports with a bookie
Never
83%
A few times a year
6%
About once a month
3%
A few times a month
3%
A few times a week
4%
Daily
1%
Use tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco)
Never
65%
A few times a year
4%
About once a month
2%
A few times a month
4%
A few times a week
6%
Daily
18%

Demographic Crosstabs

Drink alcohol
ResponseMaleFemale
Never25%32%
A few times a year16%24%
A few times a month20%17%
About once a month9%12%
A few times a week23%11%
Daily8%3%
Bet on prediction markets
ResponseMaleFemale
Never73%87%
About once a month5%3%
A few times a month6%2%
A few times a year9%5%
A few times a week5%2%
Daily2%1%
Gamble in a casino
ResponseMaleFemale
Never52%60%
A few times a year30%27%
About once a month6%3%
A few times a month7%5%
A few times a week3%3%
Daily2%2%
Bet on sports with a bookie
ResponseMaleFemale
Never77%89%
A few times a year8%5%
About once a month4%2%
A few times a week6%2%
A few times a month4%2%
Daily2%1%
Use tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco)
ResponseMaleFemale
Never60%70%
Daily19%18%
About once a month2%2%
A few times a year5%3%
A few times a month5%3%
A few times a week9%4%
Q3

Prediction Market Familiarity

How familiar are you with prediction markets — platforms where people buy and sell contracts based on the outcome of future events, such as elections, economic data, or world events?

(N = 2,000)
Very familiar — I know a lot about how they work
9%
Somewhat familiar — I have a general sense of what they are
27%
Slightly familiar — I have heard of them but don't know much
33%
Not at all familiar — this is the first I am hearing of them
31%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Very familiar — I know a lot about how they work12%6%
Somewhat familiar — I have a general sense of what they are36%19%
Slightly familiar — I have heard of them but don't know much32%35%
Not at all familiar — this is the first I am hearing of them21%41%
Q4

Prediction Market Participation

Have you ever participated in a prediction market? Examples include Polymarket, Kalshi, PredictIt, or Metaculus.

(N = 1,402) • Asked only of respondents with any familiarity with prediction markets.
Yes, I currently participate in prediction markets
10%
Yes, I have in the past but not currently
11%
No, but I am interested in trying
28%
No, and I am not interested
50%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Yes, I currently participate in prediction markets13%6%
Yes, I have in the past but not currently13%9%
No, but I am interested in trying28%29%
No, and I am not interested45%56%
Q5

Prediction Market Regulation vs. Casinos

Compared to casinos, do you think prediction markets should be regulated more strictly, less strictly, or about the same?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "more strictly" and "less strictly" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

Much more strictly than casinos
17%
Somewhat more strictly than casinos
13%
About the same as casinos
35%
Somewhat less strictly than casinos
6%
Much less strictly than casinos
3%
They should not be regulated at all
2%
Not sure
24%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Much more strictly than casinos19%14%
Somewhat more strictly than casinos13%12%
About the same as casinos38%34%
Somewhat less strictly than casinos7%5%
Much less strictly than casinos4%2%
They should not be regulated at all2%1%
Not sure16%32%
Q6

Prediction Markets: Benefit vs. Harm

Overall, do you think prediction markets cause more benefit or more harm to society?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "benefit" and "harm" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

Much more benefit than harm
4%
Somewhat more benefit than harm
13%
Somewhat more harm than benefit
25%
Much more harm than benefit
20%
Not sure
38%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Much more benefit than harm5%4%
Somewhat more benefit than harm14%12%
Somewhat more harm than benefit26%23%
Much more harm than benefit24%16%
Not sure30%46%

Section IV: 2028 Presidential — Party ID

Q7

Party Identification

Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a(n):

(N = 2,000)
30%
31%
27%
12%
DemocratRepublicanIndependentOther or none

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Democrat27%33%
Republican33%28%
Independent31%24%
Other or none9%15%
Q8

Partisan Lean

If you had to pick, are your opinions closer to:

(N = 740) • Asked only of respondents who did not identify as a Democrat or Republican.
31%
24%
45%
The Democratic PartyThe Republican PartyNeither

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
The Democratic Party34%28%
The Republican Party26%22%
Neither40%49%

Section IV: 2028 Presidential — Democratic Candidates

Q9

2028 Democratic Candidate Favorability

Please rate your overall favorability toward each of the following potential Democratic candidates for president in 2028.

(N = 864) • Asked of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents.
Gavin Newsom (Governor, California)
Very favorable
31%
Somewhat favorable
30%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
17%
Somewhat unfavorable
9%
Very unfavorable
6%
Never heard of them
7%
Kamala Harris (Former Vice President)
Very favorable
39%
Somewhat favorable
30%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
13%
Somewhat unfavorable
10%
Very unfavorable
7%
Never heard of them
1%
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. Representative, New York)
Very favorable
37%
Somewhat favorable
28%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
16%
Somewhat unfavorable
7%
Very unfavorable
4%
Never heard of them
8%
Pete Buttigieg (Former Secretary of Transportation)
Very favorable
38%
Somewhat favorable
22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
17%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
5%
Never heard of them
12%
Gretchen Whitmer (Governor, Michigan)
Very favorable
22%
Somewhat favorable
26%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
23%
Somewhat unfavorable
4%
Very unfavorable
2%
Never heard of them
22%
Cory Booker (U.S. Senator, New Jersey)
Very favorable
26%
Somewhat favorable
27%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
23%
Somewhat unfavorable
7%
Very unfavorable
4%
Never heard of them
14%
Bernie Sanders (U.S. Senator, Vermont)
Very favorable
44%
Somewhat favorable
28%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
15%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
4%
Never heard of them
2%
Josh Shapiro (Governor, Pennsylvania)
Very favorable
21%
Somewhat favorable
24%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
26%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
5%
Never heard of them
18%
JB Pritzker (Governor, Illinois)
Very favorable
25%
Somewhat favorable
23%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
22%
Somewhat unfavorable
4%
Very unfavorable
3%
Never heard of them
24%
Mark Kelly (U.S. Senator, Arizona)
Very favorable
35%
Somewhat favorable
21%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
19%
Somewhat unfavorable
3%
Very unfavorable
3%
Never heard of them
19%
Amy Klobuchar (U.S. Senator, Minnesota)
Very favorable
21%
Somewhat favorable
24%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
25%
Somewhat unfavorable
5%
Very unfavorable
3%
Never heard of them
21%

Demographic Crosstabs

Gavin Newsom (Governor, California)
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat favorable31%30%
Very favorable35%28%
Somewhat unfavorable10%7%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable14%20%
Very unfavorable6%6%
Never heard of them5%9%
Kamala Harris (Former Vice President)
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat favorable31%28%
Very favorable34%44%
Very unfavorable9%4%
Somewhat unfavorable11%10%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable14%13%
Never heard of them1%1%
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. Representative, New York)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very favorable43%33%
Somewhat favorable24%32%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable14%17%
Very unfavorable5%3%
Never heard of them6%10%
Somewhat unfavorable9%6%
Pete Buttigieg (Former Secretary of Transportation)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very favorable42%36%
Somewhat favorable23%20%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable14%18%
Somewhat unfavorable7%5%
Never heard of them8%15%
Very unfavorable5%5%
Gretchen Whitmer (Governor, Michigan)
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat favorable29%23%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable22%25%
Very favorable24%21%
Never heard of them18%26%
Very unfavorable2%3%
Somewhat unfavorable6%3%
Cory Booker (U.S. Senator, New Jersey)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable21%24%
Somewhat favorable28%26%
Very favorable27%25%
Somewhat unfavorable7%7%
Never heard of them11%16%
Very unfavorable6%3%
Bernie Sanders (U.S. Senator, Vermont)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very favorable51%38%
Somewhat favorable26%30%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable13%18%
Very unfavorable3%5%
Somewhat unfavorable5%7%
Never heard of them3%2%
Josh Shapiro (Governor, Pennsylvania)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable24%28%
Never heard of them12%23%
Somewhat favorable27%22%
Very favorable25%17%
Somewhat unfavorable6%5%
Very unfavorable6%5%
JB Pritzker (Governor, Illinois)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable19%24%
Never heard of them18%28%
Somewhat favorable31%16%
Very favorable27%23%
Very unfavorable3%3%
Somewhat unfavorable2%5%
Mark Kelly (U.S. Senator, Arizona)
ResponseMaleFemale
Very favorable40%30%
Somewhat favorable25%18%
Never heard of them14%22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable14%23%
Very unfavorable3%3%
Somewhat unfavorable4%3%
Amy Klobuchar (U.S. Senator, Minnesota)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable24%26%
Somewhat favorable26%23%
Very favorable24%19%
Never heard of them17%25%
Somewhat unfavorable5%5%
Very unfavorable3%3%
Q10

2028 Democratic Primary Vote

If the 2028 Democratic presidential primary were held today, who would you vote for?

(N = 864) • Asked of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents.
Kamala Harris
22%
Gavin Newsom
15%
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
13%
Pete Buttigieg
12%
Bernie Sanders
11%
Mark Kelly
6%
Cory Booker
4%
Josh Shapiro
4%
JB Pritzker
2%
Amy Klobuchar
2%
Gretchen Whitmer
1%
Someone else
1%
Not sure
5%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Kamala Harris14%30%
Gavin Newsom18%14%
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez15%11%
Pete Buttigieg13%12%
Bernie Sanders13%10%
Mark Kelly8%5%
Cory Booker3%5%
Josh Shapiro7%3%
JB Pritzker2%3%
Amy Klobuchar1%2%
Gretchen Whitmer2%1%
Someone else1%0%
Not sure4%6%

Section IV: 2028 Presidential — Republican Candidates

Q11

2028 Republican Candidate Favorability

Please rate your overall favorability toward each of the following potential Republican candidates for president in 2028.

(N = 802) • Asked of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents.
JD Vance (Vice President)
Very favorable
46%
Somewhat favorable
25%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
12%
Somewhat unfavorable
8%
Very unfavorable
7%
Never heard of them
1%
Marco Rubio (Secretary of State)
Very favorable
41%
Somewhat favorable
22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
19%
Somewhat unfavorable
8%
Very unfavorable
5%
Never heard of them
5%
Ron DeSantis (Former Governor, Florida)
Very favorable
38%
Somewhat favorable
24%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
18%
Somewhat unfavorable
9%
Very unfavorable
6%
Never heard of them
5%
Nikki Haley (Former UN Ambassador)
Very favorable
14%
Somewhat favorable
23%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
29%
Somewhat unfavorable
13%
Very unfavorable
9%
Never heard of them
11%
Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence)
Very favorable
20%
Somewhat favorable
23%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
29%
Somewhat unfavorable
7%
Very unfavorable
5%
Never heard of them
15%
Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator, Texas)
Very favorable
25%
Somewhat favorable
29%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
23%
Somewhat unfavorable
10%
Very unfavorable
8%
Never heard of them
5%
Josh Hawley (U.S. Senator, Missouri)
Very favorable
18%
Somewhat favorable
22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
27%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
3%
Never heard of them
24%
Tom Cotton (U.S. Senator, Arkansas)
Very favorable
14%
Somewhat favorable
22%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
30%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
4%
Never heard of them
24%
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Governor, Arkansas)
Very favorable
23%
Somewhat favorable
26%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
26%
Somewhat unfavorable
7%
Very unfavorable
6%
Never heard of them
12%
Glenn Youngkin (Governor, Virginia)
Very favorable
15%
Somewhat favorable
18%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
30%
Somewhat unfavorable
6%
Very unfavorable
6%
Never heard of them
25%
Vivek Ramaswamy (Entrepreneur)
Very favorable
20%
Somewhat favorable
25%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
25%
Somewhat unfavorable
8%
Very unfavorable
6%
Never heard of them
17%
Donald Trump Jr.
Very favorable
33%
Somewhat favorable
26%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
20%
Somewhat unfavorable
10%
Very unfavorable
11%
Never heard of them
1%
Tucker Carlson
Very favorable
11%
Somewhat favorable
21%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable
25%
Somewhat unfavorable
16%
Very unfavorable
19%
Never heard of them
8%

Demographic Crosstabs

JD Vance (Vice President)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable11%14%
Very favorable45%47%
Somewhat favorable28%22%
Somewhat unfavorable8%8%
Very unfavorable7%8%
Never heard of them1%2%
Marco Rubio (Secretary of State)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable16%23%
Very favorable43%38%
Very unfavorable5%5%
Somewhat favorable26%18%
Somewhat unfavorable9%7%
Never heard of them1%9%
Ron DeSantis (Former Governor, Florida)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable16%21%
Very favorable38%38%
Somewhat unfavorable9%9%
Somewhat favorable29%18%
Very unfavorable7%5%
Never heard of them1%9%
Nikki Haley (Former UN Ambassador)
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat favorable26%20%
Very unfavorable9%9%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable28%30%
Very favorable16%13%
Somewhat unfavorable15%11%
Never heard of them5%17%
Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable29%28%
Somewhat favorable28%18%
Very favorable21%20%
Never heard of them8%23%
Somewhat unfavorable10%5%
Very unfavorable5%6%
Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator, Texas)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable20%27%
Very favorable26%24%
Somewhat favorable33%24%
Somewhat unfavorable12%8%
Very unfavorable8%8%
Never heard of them0%9%
Josh Hawley (U.S. Senator, Missouri)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable26%29%
Somewhat favorable27%16%
Never heard of them17%31%
Very favorable18%18%
Somewhat unfavorable8%4%
Very unfavorable3%2%
Tom Cotton (U.S. Senator, Arkansas)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable31%29%
Somewhat unfavorable7%4%
Never heard of them16%33%
Somewhat favorable27%16%
Very favorable15%14%
Very unfavorable4%4%
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Governor, Arkansas)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable24%28%
Very favorable23%24%
Somewhat favorable30%21%
Never heard of them7%17%
Somewhat unfavorable9%6%
Very unfavorable6%6%
Glenn Youngkin (Governor, Virginia)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable31%29%
Very favorable16%13%
Never heard of them17%34%
Somewhat favorable22%13%
Somewhat unfavorable7%5%
Very unfavorable6%5%
Vivek Ramaswamy (Entrepreneur)
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable25%24%
Somewhat favorable29%21%
Very favorable21%18%
Never heard of them8%26%
Somewhat unfavorable10%7%
Very unfavorable6%5%
Donald Trump Jr.
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable19%20%
Very favorable30%36%
Somewhat favorable28%24%
Very unfavorable10%11%
Somewhat unfavorable13%6%
Never heard of them1%2%
Tucker Carlson
ResponseMaleFemale
Neither favorable nor unfavorable24%25%
Very favorable11%10%
Somewhat favorable24%19%
Very unfavorable19%19%
Somewhat unfavorable19%13%
Never heard of them3%14%
Q12

2028 Republican Primary Vote

If the 2028 Republican presidential primary were held today, who would you vote for?

(N = 802) • Asked of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents.
JD Vance
37%
Marco Rubio
16%
Donald Trump Jr.
13%
Ron DeSantis
7%
Nikki Haley
4%
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
3%
Vivek Ramaswamy
3%
Ted Cruz
2%
Tucker Carlson
2%
Tulsi Gabbard
1%
Josh Hawley
1%
Tom Cotton
1%
Glenn Youngkin
1%
Someone else
1%
Not sure
9%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
JD Vance36%38%
Marco Rubio19%12%
Donald Trump Jr.14%13%
Ron DeSantis7%8%
Nikki Haley4%4%
Sarah Huckabee Sanders3%3%
Vivek Ramaswamy2%3%
Ted Cruz2%2%
Tucker Carlson3%1%
Tulsi Gabbard1%0%
Josh Hawley2%1%
Tom Cotton1%1%
Glenn Youngkin1%1%
Someone else1%1%
Not sure6%12%

Section V: Trump and Pope Leo XIV

Q13

Religious Identity

Which of the following best describes your religious identity?

(N = 2,000)
ResponsePercent
Protestant Christian (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal)26%
Catholic Christian23%
Spiritual but not religious13%
Agnostic — I do not know whether God exists8%
Atheist — I do not believe in God7%
Jewish3%
Muslim3%
Mormon / Latter-day Saint1%
Orthodox Christian (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox)1%
Buddhist1%
Hindu0%
Sikh0%
Other religion or faith tradition6%
Prefer not to say6%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Protestant Christian (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal)25%27%
Catholic Christian24%22%
Spiritual but not religious11%15%
Agnostic — I do not know whether God exists9%7%
Atheist — I do not believe in God9%5%
Jewish3%4%
Muslim5%2%
Mormon / Latter-day Saint1%1%
Orthodox Christian (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox)2%1%
Buddhist2%1%
Hindu1%0%
Sikh0%0%
Other religion or faith tradition4%8%
Prefer not to say4%7%
Q14

Pope Leo XIV Favorability

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Pope Leo XIV?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "favorable" and "unfavorable" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

28%
20%
22%
7%
7%
15%
Very favorableSomewhat favorableNeither favorable nor unfavorableSomewhat unfavorableVery unfavorableNo opinion / not familiar enough

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Very favorable29%28%
Somewhat favorable22%18%
Neither favorable nor unfavorable23%22%
Somewhat unfavorable9%6%
Very unfavorable7%7%
No opinion / not familiar enough11%19%
Q15

Appropriateness of Trump Criticizing Pope

How appropriate or inappropriate do you think it is for President Trump to publicly criticize the Pope?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

9%
12%
17%
52%
10%
Very appropriateSomewhat appropriateSomewhat inappropriateVery inappropriateNot sure

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Very appropriate11%7%
Somewhat appropriate16%7%
Somewhat inappropriate19%16%
Very inappropriate46%58%
Not sure8%11%
Q16

Appropriateness of Pope Criticizing Trump

How appropriate or inappropriate do you think it is for the Pope to publicly criticize the U.S. president's policies?

(N = 2,000)

Note: Order of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" was randomized in question and ordinal scale direction was randomized in answer options.

29%
21%
19%
20%
11%
Very appropriateSomewhat appropriateSomewhat inappropriateVery inappropriateNot sure

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Very appropriate31%28%
Somewhat appropriate24%17%
Somewhat inappropriate19%20%
Very inappropriate18%22%
Not sure9%13%
Q17

Pope Voting in U.S. Elections

Pope Leo XIV is an American citizen. Do you think he should cast a vote in U.S. elections?

(N = 2,000)
77%
23%
YesNo

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Yes80%75%
No20%25%
Q18

Pope Making Vote Public

If Pope Leo XIV does vote, should he make his vote public?

(N = 2,000)
25%
75%
YesNo

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Yes25%25%
No75%75%

Section VI: MAGA — Self-Identification

Q19

MAGA Movement Identification

Do you consider yourself part of the Make American Great (MAGA) movement?

(N = 2,000)
Yes, strongly
11%
Yes, somewhat
14%
No, but I used to be part of the MAGA movement
4%
No, I have never identified as part of the MAGA movement
65%
Not sure
7%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Yes, strongly13%10%
Yes, somewhat15%13%
No, but I used to be part of the MAGA movement4%3%
No, I have never identified as part of the MAGA movement62%67%
Not sure6%7%
Q20

Meaning of MAGA

In your own words, what does "MAGA" mean to you?

(N = 575) • Asked only of self-identified or formerly self-identified MAGA members.

Open-end responses analyzed by a large-language-model (LLM). Key themes and example responses shown below.

National Unity and Nostalgic National Restoration (n = 479)
“Make America great again”
“Getting the US back to a place of respect and prosperity for all.”
“Putting America first”
“Restore America to what it was founded to be”
“Following the constitution and the rule of law, no matter who is involved. A return to logical, practical, and lawful governance. Election and border security.”
“Is a some kind of group that has a way of achieving together as one nation”
Political Slogan And Support (n = 20)
“Political slogan”
“Politics”
“Political identity and support for certain leaders”
“It’s a brand that built base on the political ideology”

Section VI: MAGA — Who Represents MAGA

Q21

Who Represents the MAGA Movement

To what extent do you think each of the following people represents the MAGA movement?

(N = 509) • Asked only of self-identified MAGA members.
Donald Trump
Strongly represents MAGA
81%
Somewhat represents MAGA
12%
Does not really represent MAGA
4%
Actively opposes MAGA
4%
Never heard of this person
0%
JD Vance
Strongly represents MAGA
69%
Somewhat represents MAGA
21%
Does not really represent MAGA
4%
Actively opposes MAGA
4%
Never heard of this person
1%
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Strongly represents MAGA
11%
Somewhat represents MAGA
22%
Does not really represent MAGA
27%
Actively opposes MAGA
21%
Never heard of this person
20%
Tucker Carlson
Strongly represents MAGA
15%
Somewhat represents MAGA
27%
Does not really represent MAGA
27%
Actively opposes MAGA
20%
Never heard of this person
11%
Steve Bannon
Strongly represents MAGA
17%
Somewhat represents MAGA
31%
Does not really represent MAGA
19%
Actively opposes MAGA
7%
Never heard of this person
26%
Laura Ingraham
Strongly represents MAGA
31%
Somewhat represents MAGA
32%
Does not really represent MAGA
13%
Actively opposes MAGA
3%
Never heard of this person
21%
Elon Musk
Strongly represents MAGA
38%
Somewhat represents MAGA
46%
Does not really represent MAGA
12%
Actively opposes MAGA
4%
Never heard of this person
1%
Ron DeSantis
Strongly represents MAGA
46%
Somewhat represents MAGA
33%
Does not really represent MAGA
9%
Actively opposes MAGA
3%
Never heard of this person
8%
Marco Rubio
Strongly represents MAGA
53%
Somewhat represents MAGA
26%
Does not really represent MAGA
9%
Actively opposes MAGA
3%
Never heard of this person
9%
Matt Gaetz
Strongly represents MAGA
18%
Somewhat represents MAGA
30%
Does not really represent MAGA
18%
Actively opposes MAGA
6%
Never heard of this person
27%
Ben Shapiro
Strongly represents MAGA
23%
Somewhat represents MAGA
31%
Does not really represent MAGA
20%
Actively opposes MAGA
8%
Never heard of this person
17%
Megyn Kelly
Strongly represents MAGA
18%
Somewhat represents MAGA
34%
Does not really represent MAGA
23%
Actively opposes MAGA
9%
Never heard of this person
16%
Erika Kirk
Strongly represents MAGA
43%
Somewhat represents MAGA
32%
Does not really represent MAGA
12%
Actively opposes MAGA
2%
Never heard of this person
10%
Josh Hawley
Strongly represents MAGA
27%
Somewhat represents MAGA
31%
Does not really represent MAGA
14%
Actively opposes MAGA
3%
Never heard of this person
25%
Tulsi Gabbard
Strongly represents MAGA
30%
Somewhat represents MAGA
32%
Does not really represent MAGA
13%
Actively opposes MAGA
4%
Never heard of this person
21%
Vivek Ramaswamy
Strongly represents MAGA
33%
Somewhat represents MAGA
32%
Does not really represent MAGA
13%
Actively opposes MAGA
4%
Never heard of this person
18%
Nikki Haley
Strongly represents MAGA
17%
Somewhat represents MAGA
37%
Does not really represent MAGA
21%
Actively opposes MAGA
11%
Never heard of this person
14%
Joe Rogan
Strongly represents MAGA
23%
Somewhat represents MAGA
35%
Does not really represent MAGA
23%
Actively opposes MAGA
5%
Never heard of this person
13%

Demographic Crosstabs

Donald Trump
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA79%83%
Somewhat represents MAGA13%10%
Does not really represent MAGA4%4%
Actively opposes MAGA4%3%
Never heard of this person0%0%
JD Vance
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA70%68%
Somewhat represents MAGA21%21%
Does not really represent MAGA4%5%
Actively opposes MAGA4%4%
Never heard of this person2%1%
Marjorie Taylor Greene
ResponseMaleFemale
Does not really represent MAGA28%25%
Somewhat represents MAGA25%18%
Actively opposes MAGA22%20%
Never heard of this person13%28%
Strongly represents MAGA13%9%
Tucker Carlson
ResponseMaleFemale
Does not really represent MAGA28%25%
Somewhat represents MAGA28%25%
Actively opposes MAGA22%18%
Strongly represents MAGA17%13%
Never heard of this person5%18%
Steve Bannon
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA35%27%
Never heard of this person17%37%
Does not really represent MAGA19%20%
Strongly represents MAGA22%11%
Actively opposes MAGA7%6%
Laura Ingraham
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA36%27%
Strongly represents MAGA33%28%
Never heard of this person13%31%
Does not really represent MAGA14%12%
Actively opposes MAGA4%2%
Elon Musk
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA48%43%
Strongly represents MAGA35%41%
Does not really represent MAGA13%10%
Actively opposes MAGA3%5%
Never heard of this person1%1%
Ron DeSantis
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA46%46%
Somewhat represents MAGA38%27%
Does not really represent MAGA8%11%
Never heard of this person5%13%
Actively opposes MAGA4%3%
Marco Rubio
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA56%49%
Somewhat represents MAGA28%25%
Never heard of this person5%15%
Does not really represent MAGA7%10%
Actively opposes MAGA4%2%
Matt Gaetz
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA35%24%
Never heard of this person19%38%
Does not really represent MAGA17%19%
Strongly represents MAGA21%14%
Actively opposes MAGA8%4%
Ben Shapiro
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA33%29%
Strongly represents MAGA26%20%
Does not really represent MAGA20%21%
Never heard of this person10%26%
Actively opposes MAGA11%3%
Megyn Kelly
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA39%29%
Does not really represent MAGA24%22%
Strongly represents MAGA19%17%
Never heard of this person11%21%
Actively opposes MAGA8%10%
Erika Kirk
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA42%45%
Somewhat represents MAGA37%26%
Does not really represent MAGA11%14%
Never heard of this person7%14%
Actively opposes MAGA3%1%
Josh Hawley
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA38%23%
Strongly represents MAGA27%26%
Never heard of this person18%34%
Does not really represent MAGA16%12%
Actively opposes MAGA2%4%
Tulsi Gabbard
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA38%24%
Strongly represents MAGA33%28%
Never heard of this person12%32%
Does not really represent MAGA12%14%
Actively opposes MAGA5%2%
Vivek Ramaswamy
ResponseMaleFemale
Strongly represents MAGA36%30%
Somewhat represents MAGA36%28%
Never heard of this person11%27%
Does not really represent MAGA12%13%
Actively opposes MAGA5%2%
Nikki Haley
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA38%36%
Does not really represent MAGA22%19%
Strongly represents MAGA20%15%
Never heard of this person8%20%
Actively opposes MAGA11%10%
Joe Rogan
ResponseMaleFemale
Somewhat represents MAGA38%32%
Strongly represents MAGA23%23%
Does not really represent MAGA27%18%
Never heard of this person6%22%
Actively opposes MAGA5%6%

Section VI: MAGA — Iran War

Q22

Iran War and MAGA Values

To what extent is the War in Iran consistent with the MAGA movement's core values?

(N = 509) • Asked only of self-identified MAGA members.
It is fully consistent with MAGA's America First principles
25%
Very consistent
26%
Somewhat consistent
29%
Somewhat inconsistent
11%
Very inconsistent
9%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
It is fully consistent with MAGA's America First principles23%27%
Very consistent30%21%
Somewhat consistent28%30%
Somewhat inconsistent12%10%
Very inconsistent7%12%
Q23

Iran War vs. Forever Wars Promise

Trump campaigned on a promise of "no forever wars." In your view, does the War in Iran violate that promise?

(N = 509) • Asked only of self-identified MAGA members.
24%
61%
16%
YesNoNot sure

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
Yes23%24%
No64%57%
Not sure13%19%

Section VI: MAGA — Future of MAGA

Q24

MAGA's Future Direction

Which statement comes closest to your view of MAGA's future direction?

(N = 509) • Asked only of self-identified MAGA members.
ResponsePercent
MAGA should remain loyal to Trump's specific brand and policies26%
MAGA should evolve into a broader populist movement less tied to Trump personally29%
MAGA should become more institutionalized within the Republican Party24%
MAGA should remain an insurgent outsider movement7%
Not sure14%

Demographic Crosstabs

ResponseMaleFemale
MAGA should remain loyal to Trump's specific brand and policies23%31%
MAGA should evolve into a broader populist movement less tied to Trump personally32%25%
MAGA should become more institutionalized within the Republican Party30%17%
MAGA should remain an insurgent outsider movement7%7%
Not sure8%20%
Q25

True Successor to MAGA

In your view, who is the true successor to the MAGA movement — and why?

(N = 509) • Asked only of self-identified MAGA members.

Open-end responses analyzed by a large-language-model (LLM). Key themes and example responses shown below.

JD Vance (n = 141)
“JD Vance because his values are MAGA values”
“Probably JD Vance as he’s closest to Trump and was picked by him.”
“JD Vance. As current VP he is part of maga now”
“JD Vance has the strength to carry on the movement, he is not afraid of not being politically correct, takes pride in America and wants to keep us safe and prosperous”
“JD Vance — Because he can continue the success started by DJT.”
Donald Trump (n = 91)
“Donald Trump”
“Trump. He is the only name i hear associated with maga”
“President Trump would be the successor to the MAGA movement because he started it.”
“Trump is irreplaceable so there will be no "true successor."”
“Donald Trump remains the central figure because he originated it and still commands the strongest base behind MAGA”
The MAGA movement / The American people (n = 33)
“The American people”
“We the people…we must maintain our constitutional republic”
“The American people are. President’s come and go but the people remain.”
“I’m not sure there is a successor. It’s a movement of the people, not just one person.”
“American citizens, because it should not be focused or controlled by an individual or small group”
Marco Rubio (n = 33)
“Marco Rubio”
“Marco Rubio because his policies place Americans first.”
“Marco Rubio brings a level headed, intelligent approach”
“Marco Rubio. A true leader who loves this country.”
“Marco Rubio. Because he’ll get the strong backing from the MAGA movement.”
Other named figure (n = 24)
“Elon Musk... The only other person I trust”
“In my view, Vivek Ramaswamy is the true successor to the MAGA movement. This is due to his policies and leadership.”
“Tucker Carlson, And after tucker the torch will be passed to nick fuentes”
“Hegseth & Homan. 100% Americans”
“Should have been charlie Kirk. Spiritual leader”
No specific successor / future Republican (n = 14)
“No one stands out in particular”
“One hasn't emerged yet.”
“The next Republican President.”
“Future Republican leaders because it is a Republican movement.”
“Whomever is the next Republican Presidential Candidate because if they are elected, they will be the successor.”
Ron DeSantis (n = 13)
“Ron DeSantis. He walks the walk, is very consistent and he has the background”
“Ron DeSantis. Executive leadership”
“Ron DeSantis because his common sense policies put american citizens first.”
“I think Ron DeSantis has the leadership qualities to take America in the right direction.”
“Possible Ron DeSantis—he has been pushing social reform to get us back to a more moral society.”
Donald Trump Jr. (n = 8)
“Donald Trump Jr because he’s his son.”
“Donald trump jr its the obvious choice”
“Donald Trump Junior. The others will eventually move toward their own opinion.”
“I believe Donald Trump Jr because he is directly related to his father”

Survey Details

📋 2,000 US adults 📅 April 21, 2026 – April 23, 2026

Verasight collected data for this project from April 21, 2026 to April 23, 2026. The sample consists of 2,000 United States adults.

The sampling criteria for this survey were:

  1. US resident
  2. Adult (age 18+)

The selection criteria for the final sample were:

  1. Passed all data quality assurance checks, outlined below

The data are weighted to match the March 2026 Current Population Survey on age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status, as well as to a running three-year average of partisanship distributions from the Pew Research Center NPORS benchmarking surveys and population benchmarks of 2024 vote. The margin of sampling error, which accounts for the design effect and is calculated using the classical random sampling formula, is +/- 2.3%.

All respondents were recruited via email from the Verasight Community, which is composed of individuals recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting. All Verasight community members are verified via multi-step authentication, including providing an SMS response from a mobile phone registered with a major U.S. carrier (e.g., no VOIP or internet phones) as well as within-survey technology, including verifying the absence of non-human responses with technologies such as Google reCAPTCHA v3. Those who exhibit low-quality response behaviors over time, such as straight-lining or speeding, are also removed and prohibited from further participation in the community. Verasight Community members receive points for taking surveys that can be redeemed for Venmo or PayPal payments, gift cards, or charitable donations. Respondents are never routed from one survey to another and receive compensation for every invited survey, so there is never an incentive to respond strategically to survey qualification screener questions.

To further ensure data quality, the Verasight data team implements a number of post-data collection quality assurance procedures, including confirming that all responses correspond with U.S. IP addresses, confirming no duplicate respondents, verifying the absence of non-human responses, and removing any respondents who failed in-survey attention and/or straight-lining checks. The Verasight data team also reviewed open-ended items to ensure no responses contained nonsensical, inappropriate, or non-sequitur text. Respondents that completed the survey in less than 30% of the median completion time were removed.

Unmeasured error in this or any other survey may exist. Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.