Democrats are extremely unpopular in the United States. This should probably come as no surprise to most objective people, given just how far left the party has veered in recent years. They’ve shown little, if any, shame in embracing principles that highlight the “warmth of collectivism,” favoring ideologies that would arguably make infamous Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky look like Benjamin Franklin. However, this devotion has apparently taken a negative toll on their public perception.
A recent public opinion poll conducted by NBC News found that a higher percentage of respondents viewed Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, more positively than the Democratic Party. The federal agency that partakes in illegal immigration enforcement operations throughout the country has drawn the ire of Democratic politicians and sycophantic protesters nationwide. Despite these well-funded and highly organized efforts attacking ICE, the agency was still considered preferable to Democrats.
In interviews with 1,000 registered voters via cellphone and online surveys conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3, 38% of respondents viewed ICE positively (meaning they replied with answers of “very positive” or “somewhat positive”) compared to 56% of respondents who viewed ICE negatively (“very negative” or “somewhat negative” responses).
While the majority of respondents had a negative perception of ICE, the breakdown of percentages was better than for “The Democratic Party.” In that instance, only 30% of respondents viewed Democrats positively, compared with 52% who viewed them negatively.
One could assume that left-wing activism, protests, and demonstrations where participants throw Molotov cocktails, bricks, stones, weaponize automobiles, or engage in other forms of physically aggressive behavior do not produce the desired results for which Democrats had hoped. Perhaps lukewarm condemnations of multiple planned assassination attempts on President Donald Trump and the horrific jubilation many Democrats displayed regarding the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk have turned off American voters. Or maybe agitators who throw improvised explosive devices at protesters with opposing viewpoints have caused voters to realize how dangerous and toxic Democrats are.
Just a thought.
Meanwhile, the dissatisfaction didn’t end with just the Democratic Party. Several of its leaders also received negative feedback and lower marks than those of ICE.
For example, only 34% of respondents viewed former Vice President Kamala Harris positively, compared with 51% who had a negative perception. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), of Munich Security Conference fame, had just 31% of respondents view her positively. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), and possible future Democratic presidential candidate, fared even worse, with just 27% respondents giving him positive marks.
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For what it’s worth, Harris, Ocasio-Cortez, and Newsom did fare better in the negative section than ICE, with each having a smaller share of respondents who viewed them negatively than the agency. However, none of the aforementioned leaders is targeted by well-funded political opposition activism in the way that ICE is.
What, if anything, this means for important matters and electoral success remains to be seen. With the 2026 midterm elections about eight months away, the favorability, or lack thereof, for Democrats should be given meaningful consideration by voters.