U.S. News
Poll: Majority of Americans Support Taxing the Rich
By Jake Beardslee · October 14, 2025
Public Support for Raising Taxes on the Wealthy
A majority of Americans believe the best way to tackle the nation’s soaring $37 trillion federal debt is by raising taxes on the rich, according to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday. The survey found that 63 percent of U.S. adults support “increasing income tax rates for upper-income Americans,” making it the most popular method for debt reduction. Kenny Holston-Pool via Imagn Images
Democrats, Independents, and Republicans Split
The poll shows a sharp partisan divide on the issue. Among Democrats, 86 percent favor raising taxes on the wealthy, compared to 62 percent of independents and 38 percent of Republicans. However, there is somewhat broader agreement on a separate proposal to overhaul the tax code: 64 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of independents, and 46 percent of Republicans support “increasing tax revenues by making major changes to the current federal tax code.” Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash
Limited Support for Spending Cuts
Fewer Americans back spending cuts to social programs. Only 49 percent support “making significant changes to Medicaid and food assistance programs to reduce their cost,” with strong partisan differences — 75 percent of Republicans, 50 percent of independents, and just 22 percent of Democrats in favor. Julia Zyablova / Unsplash
Little Support for Cuts to Social Security and Medicare
Support drops even further when it comes to cutting Social Security or Medicare: only 39 percent of adults overall support reducing costs for these programs, including 56 percent of Republicans, 42 percent of independents, and 18 percent of Democrats. Barbara Burgess / Unsplash
Tariffs and Defense Spending Divide the Public
The survey also asked about imposing tariffs as a means of boosting revenue — a central feature of former President Donald Trump’s economic platform. Just 41 percent of Americans support this method overall. Among Republicans, however, 89 percent back tariffs, compared to 35 percent of independents and 5 percent of Democrats. The White House / Wikimedia
Public Divided on Where to Cut Government Spending
On cutting government spending, 48 percent of Americans favor “cutting spending for programs other than defense, Social Security and Medicare.” Support for this approach comes from 72 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of independents, and 26 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, “cutting defense spending” is supported by 42 percent of adults — 63 percent of Democrats, 45 percent of independents, and 13 percent of Republicans. Kenny Eliason / Unsplash