Latest news with #DecisionDeskPoll
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
American attitudes about AI today mirror poll answers about the rise of the internet in the '90s
Artificial intelligence chat tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot have achieved significant public adoption, according to the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. Nearly three-quarters of adults — 74% — say they've used one of the tools at some point. And 44% say they use them 'sometimes' or 'often.' Despite rising acceptance, the future ubiquity of artificial intelligence tools like those put out by OpenAI and Google remains an open question. Polling data suggests that current adoption rates of AI chat tools look similar to internet adoption rates at the turn of the century. But the trajectory of AI's growth and the challenges it faces are unique. When an October 1998 Newsweek poll asked respondents how often they were using the internet, 38% said once a week or more. By June 2000, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll found that 71% adults had internet access and that among that group, three-quarters were using it for at least an hour a week. Internet use has, of course, only continued to rise since 2000. Daily internet use is now a more relevant metric than weekly use, and much of the public debate centers on what limits to internet access are necessary. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll identifies how public reservations shape opinions about AI adoption. In the recent survey, 47% said they believe a school that prohibits using AI would better prepare students for the future. That sentiment extends even to the most frequent AI chat tool users — one-fifth of those who say they use AI tools 'often' say prohibiting them in the classroom would better prepare students. Society's concerns about internet ubiquity may mean we're in new territory regarding technological caution. Yet, it's important to remember that public sentiment toward new technologies doesn't always prioritize adoption. When CBS News asked in 1999 whether the ability to use the internet was important for school-age children, 48% said it wasn't all that important.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Trump lied about the LA protests so you wouldn't see what he's really doing
Trump lied about the LA protests so you wouldn't see what he's really doing | Opinion Don't let Trump's social media posts and government bullying distract you. The real consequences of electing him are just beginning. Show Caption Hide Caption National Guard major general clarifies military's role in Los Angeles National Guard Major General Scott Sherman outlined the role of military personnel in Los Angeles and said troops will not conduct arrests. President Donald Trump has been busy trying to distract you by bullying immigrants. The president has been fighting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over what to do about the unfolding protests in Los Angeles – protests that the president wanted you to believe were violent, unruly and tearing the country apart. Then, on June 14, he tried to capture your attention via a military parade. All of this seemed to serve one primary purpose: to keep people distracted from the continuous failures of the Trump administration. Distract from what? A few things, actually. By claiming a city is burning to the ground, the Republican Party tried to blind us from the upheaval of the new U.S. vaccine policy. You might have missed that Planned Parenthood has closed clinics across the country, impacting people seeking basic health care. You probably also saw a quick flash about Trump's polling dropping, again. Opinion: From massive protests to a puny parade, America really let Donald Trump down RFK Jr. dismantles US vaccine policy On June 9, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the entire committee dedicated to advising the government on vaccines, because, of course, he did. He then appointed eight new members, several of whom have expressed vaccine skepticism. This change follows Kennedy's recent decision to stop recommending the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women and children, as well as Trump's proposal to cut millions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health budget. Despite Kennedy's shakeup, a recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 80% of U.S. adults 'strongly support' or 'somewhat support' vaccines being used to prevent disease, proving that Kennedy's decision to fire the 17 vaccine experts isn't exactly aligned with popular sentiment. Trump's polls plunge as Americans tire of his nonsense Another day, another poll showing Trump's popularity going down the further we get into his second term. The Quinnipiac University data released on June 11 gave Trump a 38% approval rating, down three percentage points from April. The poll also asked respondents about Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is being deliberated in the Senate. Fifty-three percent of voters oppose the legislation, while just 27% support it. Opinion: Trump supporters, this is what you're cheering as his deportation scheme unfolds This follows a trend of poor polling over the past few weeks from various sources. Americans have consistently said they don't like the job Trump's doing. The president would prefer we didn't notice that, though. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from Homeland Security press conference Of all the things that happened in recent days, I was particularly struck by the handcuffing and forced removal of Sen. Alex Padilla from a Department of Homeland Security news conference. The California Democrat announced his title and said he had questions for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, then he was escorted from the event. Noem attempted to explain the interaction, saying that Padilla hadn't scheduled a meeting with her. Opinion: Trump doesn't know if he's the hero or villain in 'Les Mis.' How ironic. Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate, did what most Democrats are scared to do: He disrupted the status quo and demanded answers for Trump's overreach in his state. Republicans did what they now do – they immediately tried to bully Padilla into silence. This horrific interaction between Noem and a sitting U.S. senator is an ominous sign of what could be on the horizon. Imagine how the Trump administration would treat regular citizens when there are no cameras. Planned Parenthood locations close nationwide Earlier this year, Trump froze federal funding to more than 100 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. We're starting to see the repercussions of this funding freeze across the country, as clinics are forced to shut down. At least 17 clinics have closed in the first five months of 2025. More are expected to close due to provisions in the budget legislation that would cut off Medicaid reimbursement to Planned Parenthood, which serves more than 2 million people. Republicans will cheer this while offering zero way for those patients to get health care. These closures are troubling to anyone who cares about abortion access or reproductive health care in general. It means that people will have to travel farther for access to care, and that people who can't afford to travel could have to forgo that care altogether. It's the world that Republicans want – and they didn't even have to pass a national abortion ban. When so much is going on, it's easy to overlook events and issues that get drowned out by the biggest headlines of the week. It's the way Trump has always operated: Distract constituents by creating constant turmoil. He hopes it distracts you from the repercussions of the actions he and other Republicans are taking. Don't let Trump's social media posts and government bullying distract you. The real consequences of electing him are just beginning. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's second term, but he leads on immigration: new poll
WASHINGTON – A majority of Americans say they disapprove of Donald Trump's second term – with even some Republicans hitting the president – as immigration remains his strongest policy issue. A new NBC News Decision Desk Poll, conducted along with SurveyMonkey, found that 45% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while 55% disapprove. Those figures remain unchanged from an NBC News survey in April. Trump's rating differs along party lines. Among Republicans, 89% approve of the president's second term in office, compared to eight percent of Democrats and 35% of Independents. Approximately 12% of Republicans said they disapprove of the president's job, compared to 92% of Democrats and 65% of Independents. Republicans were five percentage points less likely to report that they strongly support the president's administration, compared to the survey results from April. Much of that shift came from respondents who say they identify with the president's MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement. The survey also found a so-called intensity gap among Republicans and Democrats over how they feel about the Trump administration's actions. Pollsters asked respondents to pick one emotion from a list: Thrilled, happy, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, angry and furious. Fifty-one percent of Democrats agreed that they feel "furious" about the Trump administration, compared to 23 percent of Republicans who agreed. GOP survey respondents also shifted seven percentage points away from feeling "thrilled" about Trump from earlier surveys: 25% of Republicans said they felt thrilled over Trump's actions in the latest poll, compared to 32% who said the same in April. Still, only one percent of Republicans said they felt furious over Trump's actions. The latest survey was conducted among 19,410 adults nationwide between May 30 and June 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage has focused much of his presidency on advancing his immigration agenda, including deporting thousands of migrants to countries such as Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador. During his 2024 campaign, the sweeping deportations became his signature promise to voters. Now, Trump is leading on the issue. According to the survey, 51% of Americans approve Trump's handling of border security and immigration, while 49% disapprove. The survey was conducted as Trump sent National Guard troops to quell protests against immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area, against California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's wishes. Additional protests against the Trump administration's immigration actions have broken out across the country. On the economy, approximately 45% of Americans reported that "their personal financial situation" is about the same as it was last year, and 34% said it has gotten worse. Approximately 21% said their finances have improved over the last year, results that didn't see a major shift from NBC's April survey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Majority disapproves of Trump, but he leads on immigration: new poll
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
3 takeaways from the NBC News Decision Desk poll: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down the key findings from the new NBC News Decision Desk poll. Plus, we have the latest updates from the Israel-Iran conflict and the Minnesota shooting. — Adam Wollner 3 takeaways from our new poll By Scott Bland The new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey out this weekend painted a vivid picture of where Donald Trump's presidency stands right now — and where it's going in the near future. Here are three takeaways from the numbers. There's a reason why the White House wants to focus on immigration, though it's still a divisive issue. Trump's overall approval rating among U.S. adults stands at 45% approve, 55% disapprove — the same as in April. The survey also tested views of how Trump is handling a number of issues, with negative verdicts on all except immigration and border security. (The poll was mostly conducted before Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles in response to protests over ICE raids there.) But while immigration is where Trump's standing is strongest, the public is still split over his handling of the issue: 51% approve, 49% disapprove. And other polling has shown big variations in those numbers when people are asked specifics about immigration, the border and deportations. A Republican divide over priorities in the 'big, beautiful bill.' When we broke down one question on Trump's legislative agenda by partisan affiliation, one practically even split stood out: 40% of Republicans said their most important priority in the massive domestic policy bill is reducing national debt, while 39% said continuing and expanding Trump's tax cuts was most important. That mirrors the argument happening among a handful of Republican senators right now that could be critical for how the final bill comes together. Both parties get bad grades on honesty. Americans, especially independents, have a dim view of politicians' honesty right now. And the ratings aren't particularly great even when people are considering their own party, either. It's one big reason why we're seeing political instability, division, anti-incumbent sentiment and a thirst for outsiders or new voices not just in the U.S. but in elections around the world. And that's a key factor to keep in mind as we approach primaries in 2026 — and 2028. How Trump went from opposing Israel's strikes on Iran to reluctant support By Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold, Carol E. Lee and Katherine Doyle President Donald Trump had opposed Israeli military action against Iran, favoring negotiations over bombing. But in the days before the strikes began, he became convinced that Israel's heightened anxiety over Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities was warranted. After a pivotal briefing from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, on Israel's plans and U.S. options for supporting its operation, he gave tacit approval to Israel to have at it and decided to provide limited U.S. backing. When Caine briefed him on June 8, Trump was increasingly frustrated with Iran for not responding to the latest proposal for a nuclear deal. He still remained hopeful that his Middle East peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who had been scheduled to conduct another round of peace talks in the region Sunday, could soon get an agreement over the line. Trump was also facing private pressure from longtime allies who advocate more isolationist policies and wanted him to stop Israel from taking military action or at least withhold U.S. support for any such operation. This account of Trump's thinking leading up to the Israeli operation is based on interviews with five current U.S. officials and two Middle Eastern officials, as well as two people with knowledge of the deliberations, two former U.S officials familiar with the deliberations and a Trump ally. Suspect who terrorized Minnesota's political leaders after deadly shooting has been arrested By Dennis Romero The suspect wanted in the slaying of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as in the shooting of a state senator and his wife, was found Sunday night armed and crawling in a field in a sparsely populated stretch of Minnesota, authorities said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Vance Boelter's capture at a news conference after saying Saturday that the suspect's alleged crimes included a 'politically motivated assassination.' Despite being armed, authorities said, Boelter was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported. 'After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended' the alleged shooter, Walz said. 'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' he added. Boelter is in custody and is now facing state and federal charges in connection with the Saturday slaying of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, authorities said.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Most Americans view Supreme Court as partisan: Poll
While Americans have conflicting opinions on the Supreme Court, a majority agree that the Trump administration must comply with federal court orders, two recent polls found. The big picture: The high court is slated to make a slew of rulings in coming weeks on issues Americans remained deeply divided on, including on judicial power, birthright citizenship and gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Zoom in: Americans are divided on their views of the Supreme Court: 55% have a strongly or somewhat favorable view of the high court, while 45% have a somewhat or strongly unfavorable view, an NBC News Decision Desk Poll poll found. There's a partisan divide in how Americans view the judicial body, per a separate Reuters-Ipsos poll: 67% of Republicans viewing the high court favorably, compared to only 26% of Democrats. Something that both sides agree on: Neither Republicans nor Democrats see the court as politically neutral, according to the Reuters poll. Between the lines: The Supreme Court in recent months has been clearing away many of the hurdles lower courts have put in President Trump's path. The court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has three justices appointed by Trump during his first term. Still, legal battles over many aspects of his second-term agenda remain. Zoom out: The Trump administration has defied a number of court orders, particularly related to immigration policies. Americans are not on board, a NBC News Decision Desk Poll found. 81% of respondents believe the administration must follow federal court rulings and stop actions deemed illegal. Meanwhile, 19% believe the administration can ignore court rulings. Details: The Reuters-Ipsos poll, conducted June 11-12, was based on responses from 1,136 U.S. adults. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll was conducted from May 30-June 10 among a national sample of 19,410 adults aged 18 and over. The error estimate is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
