3 things to know from the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the political officea newsletter bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, Scott Bland breaks down the key takeaways from NBC News’ latest Decision Desk poll. Plus, we look at the backlash over President Donald Trump’s remarks about Rob Reiner following the director’s death.
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—Adam Wollner
3 things to know from the new NBC News Decision Desk poll
Analysis by Scott Bland
The latest NBC News Decision Desk poll from SurveyMonkey was released Sunday and is packed with data on President Donald Trump, the economy and how Americans currently feel about their jobs, finances and health insurance.
Here are three big things the survey showed:
Pro-Trump intensity decreased slightly. The president’s ultra-engaged base has always been one of his political strengths, but this survey showed how much that engagement has declined in 2025. The share of Republicans who consider themselves part of the MAGA movement has declined over the year, as has the share of MAGA supporters who strongly approve of Trump’s performance, from 78% in April to 70% today. Overall, the share of adults who strongly disapprove of Trump (44%) far exceeds those who strongly approve of him (21%).
How rising prices change habits. A majority of adults (53%) said they have changed their grocery purchases amid rising prices in recent years, in order to stay within their budget. This even includes 39% of people whose household income is over $100,000. Overall, those at the wealthier end of the spectrum haven’t felt as squeezed as those making less money, but the chart below clearly shows why voters up and down the income scale feel frustrated by post-Covid inflation, even if prices aren’t rising as fast as they were under the Biden administration.
People love their health insurance. Overall, 82% of adults say they are satisfied with their health insurance. But there is an undercurrent of discontent, as 24% said their coverage for something had been delayed or denied by their insurer at some point in the past two years. It highlights the ever-perilous politics of health care, where frustration with the status quo and uncertainty about change collide in unpredictable ways.
See the full survey results here.
🍟Related reading: Trump used McDonald’s to connect with voters. Today, many feel they can’t afford it, by Peter Nicholas in Feasterville, Pennsylvania.
Trump baselessly claims Rob Reiner died because he was anti-Trump, politicizing director’s assassination
By Jonathan Allen, Peter Nicholas and Henry J. Gomez
President Donald Trump faced backlash from fellow Republicans after baselessly suggesting that legendary director and actor Rob Reiner died because of Reiner’s anti-Trump views, injecting politics into the killing at a time when other conservatives were expressing condolences.
Reiner, Trump wrote on Truth Social, was killed “because of the anger he provoked in others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a crippling mental illness known and sometimes referred to as TRUMP DISRANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”
Trump’s comments are not supported by public information currently available from authorities. He began his allegations by saying the killings were “a very sad thing.”
Nick Reiner, the youngest son of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, was arrested and jailed on suspicion of murdering his parents after they were found dead in their Los Angeles-area home Sunday. Nick Reiner has spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction and homelessness.
Several Republican lawmakers criticized Trump for emphasizing Reiner’s political views rather than the gruesome nature of his death.
“This claim is false,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who serves in one of the most competitive districts in the country, wrote on X. “Regardless of their political views, no one should be subjected to violence, least of all at the hands of their own son. This is a horrible tragedy that should engender the sympathy and compassion of everyone in our country, period.”
Republicans who criticize Trump have long risked alienating MAGA voters, whose support will be critical for vulnerable candidates in next year’s midterm elections. Lawler’s decision to oppose the president may suggest that he believes he is on safe ground — even with die-hard Trump voters — in expressing a contrary view of Reiner.
Two other House Republicans, both of whom have clashed with Trump in recent months, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, also lambasted the president over
Trump later said he stood by his position when a reporter asked him about the criticism he had received.
“Well, not a fan of him at all. He was a disturbed person,” Trump said while answering questions in the Oval Office this afternoon, adding that Reiner “was very bad for our country.”
Read more →
🗞️ Other news of the day
- ⚫ An alleged terrorist plot foiled: The Justice Department has arrested four people in connection with an alleged plot to detonate bombs in the Los Angeles area on New Year’s Eve, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X. Read more →
- 👀 Tar Heel State Spit: Eight months after Trump nominated him to be ambassador, former Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., has not had a hearing. The hold-up, according to sources? His fellow North Carolina Republican, Sen. Ted Budd, who ran against him for Senate three years ago. Read more →
- ➡️ Immigration agenda: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said her adult son was arrested by ICE agents Saturday in Minnesota and asked to provide proof of citizenship. Read more →
- 📈 Growing threats: Trump’s fiery rhetoric against his perceived political enemies has resulted in a storm of threats against at least 22 officials on both sides of the aisle in recent weeks, according to an NBC News tally. Read more →
- 🗺️ Repercussions of redistricting: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on “Meet the Press” that he believed mid-decade redistricting was a “mistake” by both parties that could eventually lead to more political violence. Read more →
- 📖 Fallout from redistricting, continued: Merriam-Webster editors chose “slop” as their word of the year, while noting that “gerrymander” was a popular search term in 2025. Read more →
That’s all that’s coming from the politburo for now. Today’s newsletter was written by Adam Wollner.
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