Most say Supreme Court avoids anti-Trump rulings: Survey

A majority in a new survey says the Supreme Court is going out of its way to avoid making a ruling that President Trump might refuse to obey. 

The Marquette School of Law national poll released Thursday found that 57 percent of respondents said the high court is sparing Trump from orders that strike his agenda; the same results were recorded in a January survey. 

A majority of Democrats, 79 percent, agreed with the sentiment that the Supreme Court avoids adverse Trump rulings, and 66 percent of independents said they feel the same, according to the poll. 

Sixty-seven percent of Republicans disagreed. 

Public approval for the high court fell by 2 percentage points, when comparing survey results from January to April responses. 

Approval ratings for the Supreme Court are divided by a partisan split. 

Seventy percent of Republicans said they approve of the court, compared with 29 percent of independents and 19 percent of Democrats. 

Republicans’ approval rating for the Supreme Court fell over the last few months, while support from independents and Democrats increased following a ruling striking down Trump’s global tariffs. 

More than half of survey respondents, 66 percent, said they approved of the ruling that determined Trump’s tariffs were illegal, and 33 percent disagreed.  

Sixty-one percent of Republicans said they oppose the ruling. Comparatively, 73 percent of independents and 92 percent of Democrats were in favor of it.

The Trump administration is now working to issue international refunds to companies that paid the tariffs. Some corporations have said they plan to reimburse consumers forced to face price markups due to levies on imports and exports. 

“I think it’s brilliant if they don’t do that,” Trump said of corporations that are choosing not to file a claim with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency handling refunds. 

“Actually, if they don’t do that, they’ve got to know me very well. I’m very honored by what you just said. If they don’t do that, I’ll remember them,” the president added.

The sweeping tariffs rattled the global market and impacted longstanding U.S. trade relationships for farmers, small-business owners and car companies. 

Trump’s overall approval rating has taken a downward turn in part because of the unexpected economic shifts during his first year back in office. 

The Marquette School of Law survey took place April 8-16 with 982 adults nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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