America Speaks with Dr. Frank Luntz

President Donald Trump is receiving mixed reviews on foreign policy 100 days into his presidency, according to a new Emerson College poll. His handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict drew 27% approval, with 52% disapproving and 21% neutral. On the Israel-Hamas war, 46% disapprove of his response, while 30% approve and 24% are undecided. However, Trump fares better on immigration and border security in separate Marquette Law School poll that found a majority of Americans support his approach.Watch the latest 29-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz leads a heated debate between Americans sharing their views on Trump’s foreign policy. Opinions were sharply divided, with some praising Trump for his deal-making and America-first stance, while others criticized him for alienating allies and being self-serving.

As President Trump wraps up his Middle East tour, it’s clear his foreign policy marks a sharp departure from that of former President Joe Biden. He has withdrawn the U.S. from international agreements like the Paris Climate Accord, cut numerous foreign aid programs and pursued closer ties with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He has also floated the idea of taking over foreign territories, such as Greenland and the Gaza Strip, and imposed severe tariffs on longtime U.S. trading partners, including China. According to an April 2025 Pew Research poll, just a few months into his presidency, Trump received mixed to negative ratings from most Americans. Among Republicans, however, support tends to follow party lines on key issues. In the case of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, 57% of Republicans say Trump is handling it correctly, while only 16% believe he’s being too soft on Russia. Democrats strongly disagree — 72% say Trump is leaning too far toward Moscow. Watch the latest 34-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz talks to Americans about U.S. foreign policy under Trump — specifically, whether China poses a threat, the country’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war and whether Trump’s acceptance of a gift plane from Qatar raises ethical concerns.

Americans have mixed feelings about the country’s future, especially when it comes to politics and the economy. Many expect political divisions to deepen by 2050, and they tend to view the past more favorably than the present. Views on the future vary widely along party lines, with Republicans and Democrats expressing different levels of optimism about what lies ahead. Watch this 39-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz leads a discussion with everyday Americans about the country’s future and whether the next generation will be better or worse off.

America is split right down the middle, with its citizens continuing to clash over big issues like immigrationand the economy. Social media keeps people locked in their own bubbles, ramping up the tension, while trust in the government is at an all-time low. Immigration remains the top divisive issue, with President Trump and his supporters’ stance clashing with other Americans, fueling the ongoing national discord. Watch the 41-minute episode of America Speaks, where pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz moderates a heated debate among Americans, largely focused around immigration. In his 35 years of leading focus groups, Dr. Luntz has never seen such anger among participants, strangers before this discussion.  This is the full, unedited version of their conversation.

The U.S. is going through a turbulent period early in President Trump’s second term, with a shaky stock market, new tariffspushing up prices, federal job cuts and tough immigrationcrackdowns. These developments have fueled discussions about whether Trump’s 2024 voters remain supportive or are reconsidering their choice amid the instability. According to an April 2025 Reuters/Ipsos poll, Trump’s approval rating dropped to its lowest point since his return to the White House, with 42% of respondents approving of Trump’s performance, a slight decline from 43% in a the same poll three weeks prior, and a more significant drop from 47% in the hours following his Jan. 20 inauguration. However, Trump’s most loyal followers are very much sticking with him. Watch the above 32-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz talks to pleased Trump voters about the American Dream, tariffs, the economy, national divides and personal sacrifices.

President Donald Trump sparked nationwide controversy with a barrage of executive orders as soon as he returned to the White House to commence his second term on Jan. 20, 2025. Since then, Republicans in Congress have been largely supportive of Trump’s initiatives. However, a series of escalating crises has begun to fracture Republican support of the president both within Congress and among the wider U.S. public. Watch the above 27-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Trump voters to share their opinions of the president’s performance in his first 90 days back in the Oval Office for his second term.

In a typical year, the United States spends between 0.4% to 1.4% of its federal budget on international aid. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is largely complete, that worked out to be around $79 billion, or 1.2%. Much of that aid includes life-saving food and medical supplies, but it also funds clinics, provides for emergency services and helps reduce armed conflicts. Recently, the Trump administration dramatically reduced funding for the chief agencies charged with distributing U.S. foreign aid, and is now formally dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The administration also cut U.S. funding to the World Food Programme (WFP) in what the United Nations agency called “a death sentence” for millions of humans around the world. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) maintains that these cancellations are justified for “the convenience of the U.S. Government.” Watch the above 28-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Americans to share their opinions, questions and concerns regarding recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid, how those cuts might impact the projection of American soft power, and what they think the correct path forward should be from here.

After losing the White House and control of the Senate in the 2024 election — while facing record-low approval ratings — the Democratic Party is now debating its future leadership and strategy for handling President Donald Trump’s second term. While Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ., recently gained attention with a record-breaking speech, other “rising stars” are vying to lead the Democratic Party. Watch the 22-minute America Speaks video above, where pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz talks with Democrats about the future of the party and the viability of politicians such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY., and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Last November, Democrats lost the popular vote for the U.S. presidency for the first time in 20 years against a divisive Republican candidate who had nearly been barred from politics for life over his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. That defeat shocked the Democratic Party and its supporters, and some analysts say that Democrats today remain in a state of traumatized paralysis even as President Trump rapidly pursues a highly controversial partisan agenda. American liberals split even further in recent weeks, after some Senate Democrats backed a heavily Republican budget in order to avert a government shutdown, a move criticized by the more progressive wing of the party. The center-left defends that decision, however, arguing that a shutdown would have made the current American crisis even worse. Watch the above 33-minute video of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks American Democrats to share what they think is wrong with their party, how they can correct course for the future, and how to resist what they say is the dictatorship of Donald Trump.

Tariffs have emerged as a key component of President Trump’s economic plan for the United States, with sweeping levies imposed upon Mexican, Canadian and Chinese goods shortly after the president began his second term, and with future tariffs expected on European goods. The returning president has long campaigned on tariffs, and sought to implement them to a lesser extent during his first term, as well. But with American companies and workers at risk, the American stock market tumbling and traditional U.S. allies around the world reacting sharply, some Americans have criticized the president’s tariff policies. Watch the above 25-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Americans to share their opinions on Trump’s tariff policies, and whether they think those policies as a whole are good or bad for the future of the United States.