AP-NORC: 8 in 10 voters want Congress to cut costs, only 2 in 10 want it to back Trump's agenda

Voters from both parties want the next Congress to focus on prices and the war with Iran far more than on President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center. About 8 in 10 registered voters said lowering the cost of living should be one of Congress's highest priorities, and roughly 7 in 10 said the same of ending the war with Iran, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.

What the poll found

• Lower the cost of living: about 8 in 10, including a large majority of Republicans and of Democrats.
• End the war with Iran: roughly 7 in 10.
• Reduce the federal deficit; find common ground between the parties: about half each.
• Investigate the Trump administration; pass new AI laws: about 4 in 10 each.
• End military aid to Israel: about 3 in 10.
• Support Trump's agenda: about 2 in 10 overall, and about 4 in 10 Republican voters.

Where the parties split

The agreement on costs and Iran does not extend to the president. About 6 in 10 MAGA Republicans want Congress to prioritize Trump's agenda, against about 2 in 10 Republicans who do not identify with MAGA, AP reported. At least half of both Republican groups want lower costs, an end to the Iran war and a smaller deficit.

Among Democrats, about 6 in 10 registered Democratic voters call investigations of the administration one of the highest priorities, behind costs and Iran. About three-quarters of Democratic voters who identify as democratic socialists say so, against slightly under half of Democrats who do not.

How to read the numbers

The poll surveyed 1,119 adults from Oct. 8 to 12 using NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The stated margin of sampling error, plus or minus 3.9 percentage points, is for adults overall. The findings above are for registered voters, a smaller subgroup, so their margin of error is wider than 3.9 points, and the party and MAGA breakdowns are smaller still. AP reports the results as rounded fractions, and we have kept them that way.

The poll records what people say they want at one moment. It does not show why prices rose, who voters hold responsible, or whether any policy would lower them. It is not a mandate for any party, and it does not forecast what Congress would pass after the Nov. 3 election. We have not interviewed voters or pollsters for this brief, and we have not yet read the AP-NORC topline or the exact question wording.

What to watch

Lawmakers who campaign on affordability will be judged on measurable things: what households pay for housing, insurance, groceries, electricity and health coverage. For readers tracking the costs side of this, our latest data coverage is in Economy.

Sources: AP, "Voters prioritize costs and Iran over investigating Trump for next Congress, AP-NORC poll finds," Oct. 22, 2026 (syndicated copy linked above); AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. This is news reporting, not investment advice.