WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 19:  Copies of President Trump's FY'18 budget books are stacked, at the Government Publishing Office, on May 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
CBO: 23 million more uninsured by 2026
01:22 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

Elected officials are paying a price for the messy health care fight

Voters say they disapprove of President Trump's handling of health care 62% to 32%

Washington CNN  — 

A new poll shows trouble for lawmakers who back the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday found that a wide majority of voters – 57% to 20% – disapprove of the Republican health care bill. Those numbers are virtually identical to public sentiment both shortly after the bill passed the House in early May and back in March when an attempt to pass an earlier version failed.

The poll provides little comfort to anxious Republicans looking to 2018 and remembering Democrats’ 2010 midterm losses after their successful attempt at health care reform. Just 17% of independent voters say they are more likely to vote for a member of Congress who supports the bill, while 41% say it would make them less likely to support that member.

Voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of health care by large margin – 62% to 32% – and half of them think he should not support the repeal effort.

Outside of the health care fight, large majorities say they disapprove of the way Republicans (70%) and Democrats (63%) are doing their jobs. And leaders from both sides – House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – all carry negative favorability ratings.

The poll also surveyed attitudes toward Trump and the media. By 53% to 34%, voters said they trust the media to tell the truth about issues more than Trump. That’s a slight improvement for the President from a previous survey two weeks ago that had the spread 57% to 31%.

Additionally, 57% said they disapprove of the way the media covers Trump, and 62% said they disapprove of the way Trump talks about the media. 

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,404 voters across the country from May 17 through May 23. It has a margin of error of +/- 3 points.