AP-NORC poll: about six in 10 US adults say Trump profits illegally or unethically

Mixed · 2A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, released on Tuesday 13 October 2026, found that most Americans think President Donald Trump is profiting from the presidency in ways that are illegal or unethical. 1 2 Mixed · 2According to the Times of India, around six in 10 US adults think he is illegally profiting or acting unethically within the law: about four in 10 say he has done something illegal, and about two in 10 say his conduct is unethical but not illegal. Al Jazeera puts the 'illegal' share at just over 40 percent and the 'unethical but not illegal' share at 18 percent. 1 2 Centre · 1Only about two in 10 respondents said Trump was doing nothing wrong, and a similar share said they did not know enough to judge, according to the Times of India. 1

Mixed · 2The poll also asked about priorities. The Times of India reports that 56% said Trump has put “a lot” of emphasis on his personal businesses since returning to the White House, and 54% said the same of the business interests of his friends and family. Only about a quarter said he had prioritised the country as a whole “a lot”, and about one in 10 said the same of people like them. 1 2 Mixed · 2Views split along party lines. Around eight in 10 Democrats said Trump was doing something illegal, against about three in 10 independents and about one in 10 Republicans. The Times of India adds that most Republicans said he was doing nothing wrong or that they did not know enough to say. 1 2 Mixed · 2Republicans were also divided on his priorities. The Times of India says about half thought he had put “a lot” of emphasis on the country and about a quarter thought he had done so for his personal business interests. Al Jazeera says 55% of Republicans surveyed said he had prioritised his personal business interests “a lot” or “some”. 1 2

Mixed · 2Both outlets set the poll against Trump's finances. His June financial disclosure reported more than $1bn from new cryptocurrency businesses after his administration eased regulation of the industry, and the Trump Organisation made eight foreign real estate deals in his first year, several with authoritarian or one-party states. 1 2 Centre · 1The Times of India adds that one crypto venture received a $500 million investment from a United Arab Emirates business linked to the royal family, and that Trump has lifted his first-term restriction on his family pursuing private-sector deals overseas. It also quotes Trump telling The New York Times at the start of his second term, “I found out that nobody cared.” 1 Mixed · 2The White House has repeatedly rejected the allegations, saying Trump has no conflicts of interest and acts in the country's interests. The Times of India notes that the poll measured public perceptions and did not establish whether any activity was illegal. 1 2

Mixed · 2Both place the findings alongside a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll in which Trump's approval rating fell to 32%, the lowest of his political career, amid cost-of-living concerns and the Iran war. Al Jazeera says the AP-NORC poll surveyed more than 2,000 US adults in late September. 1 2 Centre · 1Respondents quoted by the Times of India differed. Lisa Fernandez, a Democrat from Texas, said Trump is “exploiting it for his own needs and his family”. Audra Pelsue, a Republican from New York, said his family has probably benefited but she doesn't think he has. John Bartus of Idaho cited Trump's donation of his $400,000 salary and said business interests don't interfere with running the country. 1