At a time of deep political divisions, registered Tennessee voters are united in their overwhelming support for key federal programs, according to the latest semiannual statewide Vanderbilt Poll.
Concern about the U.S. economy and personal financial futures is also prevalent, while partisan divides are more apparent on issues such as immigration, tariffs and President Donald Trump’s response to court rulings against his actions and policies.
Overwhelming opposition to cutting funds
Registered voters in Tennessee express overwhelming opposition to cuts to major areas of federal spending. About nine in 10 Tennesseans oppose cuts to Social Security benefits (94%), Medicare (97%), Medicaid (89%) and veterans’ health care programs (94%).
This strong opposition to cuts in these programs is consistent across party lines. Among self-identified MAGA Republicans, where support is lowest, nearly four in five oppose cutting or limiting Medicaid, the health care program for the poor (96% of Democrats and 88% of Independents), and 96% oppose cutting Medicare, the health care program for people 65 and older (100% of Democrats and 97% of Independents).
“In today’s polarized environment, the focus often falls solely on disagreements, and certainly disagreements exist on issues like immigration and deportation. However, I believe it’s equally important, as this poll highlights, to recognize areas of agreement across partisan lines, whether someone identifies as a MAGA Republican, Democrat or Independent,” says John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll, senior adviser to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, professor of political science and holder of a Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair. “The data suggests widespread opposition to cutting these programs, even among individuals on opposite sides of the political spectrum.”
Opposition to other federal funding reductions is more mixed, but still high overall. Sixty-eight percent of registered voters oppose cutting funding for national parks, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Opposition is highest among Democrats (87%) and lowest among MAGA Republicans, a plurality at 46%.
More than two-thirds of Tennessee voters voiced opposition to research funding reductions. Support was highest for funding research at teaching hospitals (73%) and lowest for funding research at universities (66%). Opposition to research cuts at universities is the most varied, with a 57-point gulf between MAGA and Democrat opposition (35% and 92%, respectively).
Roughly seven in 10 Tennesseans oppose cutting funding for basic research on diseases (71%), clinical trials to develop new treatments (69%) and vaccine research (69%). Across research types, opposition to funding cuts is consistently strongest among Democrats and weakest among MAGA Republicans, while non-MAGA Republicans and Independents align within several points of the middle.
Mixed economic outlook and anxiety
By a margin of 61% to 39%, Tennessee’s registered voters say the U.S. economy is fairly or very bad. That view flips, however, when they consider Tennessee’s economy. Then, 61% say it is good versus 38% who say it is bad.
But Tennesseans have inflation on their minds. Across partisan lines, 85% say the cost of living is somewhat or very expensive. Only 7% say the cost of living is affordable now. Looking ahead, two-thirds of Tennesseans (67%) think the cost of living will increase over the next four years, while only one in five (22%) predict it will decrease.
Sixty-one percent of Tennesseans say they worry about having enough money to pay for emergencies, such as medical care or car repairs. Similarly, 64% worry about having enough money in savings for retirement or to pay for a child’s education, with a third (34%) saying they are “very worried” about it. Tennesseans are less worried about their ability to pay their typical monthly bills – nearly evenly split with 53% saying they aren’t worried about them and 47% saying they are.
These levels of worry in the spring 2025 poll are higher than those seen in the spring 2020 poll, which was conducted in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of registered voters who feel worried about having enough money for emergencies is 17 points higher today than in early 2020, 19 points higher about having enough savings and 16 points higher about paying monthly bills.
While voters’ views on spending for some government programs are clear and very supportive, attitudes on tariffs are much more divided. Less than half of Tennesseans (46%) support Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on foreign products, while 53% oppose the move.
While support for the tariffs is slightly down from the roughly half who supported them in Dec. 2024, opposition has grown by 11 points over the past four months. There is still an extreme split between Republicans and Democrats. Seventy-five percent of non-MAGA Republicans (88% of MAGA Republicans) support tariffs, while 93% of Democrats oppose.
“Regarding issues like tariffs, we observe significant divisions. Republicans are substantially more supportive, while Independents and Democrats are notably less so,” says Vanderbilt Poll co-director Josh Clinton, who holds the Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair at Vanderbilt and is a professor of political science. “Whenever we ask Tennesseans about an issue related to national politics, we are far more likely to see Tennesseans of different parties disagree on the issue.”
Globalism and deporting immigrants
There is general bipartisan support for NATO, with 72% of Tennesseans opposing withdrawal from the security alliance. Ninety-six percent of Democrats say the U.S. should not withdraw, while less than half that proportion (39%) of MAGA Republicans oppose leaving NATO.
“MAGA Republicans are nearly twice as likely to support President Trump compared to non-MAGA Republicans. In contrast, non-MAGA Republicans tend to align with Democrats and Independents on issues like globalism,” Clinton says. “Furthermore, Republicans who identify as MAGA Republicans are more inclined to favor U.S. withdrawal from NATO than those who feel more aligned with the traditional Republican Party. While there is strong support for President Trump among both groups in general, we do find splits on some issues that reflect differences in the Republican coalition.”
Tennesseans do not view Russia kindly. When asked if Russia is a better friend to the United States than Europe, they say no by a 75-point margin – 86% to 11%.
The majority of Tennessee voters support deporting migrants who are in the United States illegally. Fifty-one percent support deporting those with no criminal record, with 37% opposing.
Support is higher when considering deporting those with a criminal record, with 73% in support and 14% opposing. In the fall 2024 poll, the levels of support and opposition were 84% and 9%, respectively.
Fifty-seven percent of poll respondents oppose the government searching K-12 schools to find people who are living in the U.S. illegally, with nearly half (47%) strongly opposing it. By a 50% to 35% margin, respondents also oppose searching churches, synagogues and mosques to find people to deport. Support shifts when searching colleges and universities, with 47% supporting it and 42% opposing.
State issues: Groceries and schools
When asked about reducing Tennessee’s state sales tax on groceries, nearly nine in 10 Tennesseans (89%) think the tax should be cut. This sentiment crosses all partisan lines at roughly the same level of support.
The state legislature passed a law this year providing funding for vouchers that can help pay for tuition to private schools, including those with religious affiliations. Only 8% of parents with public school children say they plan to use the vouchers to move their child to a private school. Thirty-four percent of parents of private school students say they plan to apply for a voucher to help pay tuition, while 45% say they don’t plan on applying.
Fifty-five percent of Tennesseans oppose a bill in the state legislature that would deny children access to public education if their parents are here illegally. Nearly half strongly oppose the proposal.
American democracy and presidential power
Tennesseans are concerned about the state of American democracy, but less so than in the spring of 2024. Thirty percent say it’s now “being tested,” but not under attack, roughly the same as a year ago. But 15% say “American democracy isn’t in danger” – up 10 points – and 54% say “American democracy is under attack,” down nine points.
Because several of Trump’s actions are being challenged in the courts, the Vanderbilt Poll asked whether Trump should have the power to reshape the government even if it means ignoring rulings from federal courts and the Supreme Court.
Twenty-seven percent agreed he should have the power to ignore the courts, while 72% disagreed. Opinions were split dramatically by party affiliation. A full 62% of MAGA Republicans agreed with this statement, as did 29% of non-MAGA Republicans, 16% of Independents and 2% of Democrats.
“Capturing the 2024 presidential nomination indicates broad-based support for Trump. Our polls suggest that Republicans, without a doubt, support the president, but there is still a divide among the MAGA movement and traditional Republicans on a couple of key issues,” Geer says. “One issue we ask about regarding President Trump is his efforts to centralize power in the office of the presidency at the expense of the other two branches – Congress and the courts. The founders of our country were very intentional to divide power and ensure shared governance. Trump’s recent efforts are trying to adjust that system to give the presidency more power. Among traditional Republicans, there is not a lot of support for that move. They still want the classic division of powers. They still want courts to have the final word over any presidential action or congressional action.”
Low approval of politicians
Tennesseans have a negative view of Congress. Only 36% approve of the job Congress is doing, while 60% disapprove. While far more people disapprove of Congress, this is the highest approval and lowest disapproval rating it has received since the first Vanderbilt Poll was conducted in 2011.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee enjoys a net positive rating, but the share of Tennesseans who approve of the job he is doing is the lowest for any Tennessee governor since the Vanderbilt Poll began – perhaps reflecting the continuing effect of polarization on the views of Democrats and Republicans.
The Vanderbilt Poll is conducted among registered voters and seeks to reflect the views of all registered voters, regardless of whether they actually participate in elections. If opinions of only those who report voting in the 2024 presidential election (a smaller share of the state’s population) are considered, the approval ratings of Republicans and Republican-controlled bodies markedly increase.
Vanderbilt University’s spring 2025 survey canvassed 1,223 Tennessee registered voters from April 17 to April 27. The poll was conducted in English.