The White House, embroiled in a heated debate over the president’s plan to invite hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers into the United States, is being pressured by voters to focus more on domestic issues and less on foreign policy.
In two new independent polls, majorities of likely voters and supporters of President Donald Trump want him to tackle the Main Street issues that he campaigned on last year, rather than world hot spots such as Nigeria and Mali.
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In a Rasmussen Reports survey, for example, 62% said “it would be better if Trump spent more time dealing with domestic issues like the economy.” That included 54% of Republicans and 61% of independent voters.
A just-released Big Data Poll found that 51.9% feel Trump is “too focused” on foreign policy. Among independent voters, it is 55.4%.
Most believe that Trump is doing a good job handling foreign policy. He recently helped settle the Israel-Hamas war and has cut successful deals with major economic foes, including China, with his tough use of tariffs.
But his plan to grant some 600,000 visas to Chinese workers has prompted a massive pushback from his Make America Great Again base. Trump’s recent comments that the U.S. doesn’t have enough talented citizens for certain jobs fueled MAGA’s outrage.
This is the social compact breaking down. We need urgency to restore it:
1 – Mass deportations
2 – Stop the H-1B scam
3 – Dramatically reduce LEGAL Immigration
4 – End chain migration and the Visa Lottery
5 – Build 10 million homes for Americans
6 – Crush the College Cartel pic.twitter.com/hJXzcD3qak— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 14, 2025
Many of those chafing at Trump’s plan have seized on one of the last social media posts from the late Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. Before he was assassinated, he condemned the H-1B visa program to bring in foreign workers and called for a sweeping reduction in legal immigration. Others are citing an interview Trump did with Fox News host Laura Ingraham this week, during which she challenged the president on the visas.
The issue is also a factor behind why “America Last” is trending on social media.
“America Last is trending, only this time, it’s being used to describe Trump himself during what should have been an easy interview with @IngrahamAngle,” tweeted Rich Baris, director of Big Data Poll and the head of the newly organized National Association of Independent Pollsters created to challenge biased media polls.
But Trump’s foreign focus isn’t all bad, according to another pollster who found substantial support for the president’s efforts to provide American aid to the needy overseas.
McLaughlin & Associates found that 76% of Trump’s base backs international food and medicine assistance “that uses American-made products to save lives, improve global health, strengthen alliances, and bolster U.S. national security and the economy.”
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The pollster added that overseas aid programs that use American products are a winner among several key voting groups. “The support level is highest among Democrats, but three-quarters of Trump voters and Republicans favor it, and approval reaches 80% among Evangelicals,” said McLaughlin.
What’s more, according to McLaughlin’s analysis, “This kind of strategic investment in American leadership is consistent with President Trump’s America First vision.”