- Utahns largely support birthright citizenship with 44% strongly and 23% somewhat supportive.
- Trump's immigration policy divides Utahns; 39% support enforcement operations while 34% oppose.
- Trump's approval in Utah is 51%, higher than national 42%, but gender and age gaps exist.
SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump just crossed the threshold of one year back in office and three more to go in his second presidency.
His first year back in the White House was a busy one. After being elected in the November 2024 election, Trump moved back to Washington, D.C., and changed the federal government from the inside out.
Voters' reactions to his second administration so far are mixed. His overall approval rating has dropped nationally to a low of around 42%, according to RealClear Polling.
Trump is performing better among Utah voters, where 51% said they either strongly or somewhat approve of the president's job performance.
In a recent state Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by Morning Consult, Utahns weighed in on how well they think Trump is doing.
While he earns high marks with a majority of those in the state, another 46% of Utahns either somewhat or strongly disapprove of his job in the White House. Just 3% of respondents said they don't know what to make of Trump's performance.
As it has been in the past, Trump is more popular in Utah with men than he is with women. He's also the most popular with voters 65 years old and older, and his popularity falls with each younger age demographic.
The survey also finds that Utahns have divided views about Trump's immigration policy, with 39% supporting his deportation and illegal immigration enforcement operations and 34% who say they oppose it.
The responses from Utahns generally fall in line with his previous polling numbers. In a November survey, 52% of those in the state approved of Trump's job performance, and it was consistent from months before.
Hinckley Institute Director Jason Perry said Trump's approval rating in Utah shows that he's maintained steady support in the state.
"While it has declined since his inauguration in January and remains below how a Republican president would historically perform in Utah, he remains above the water," Perry said. "The more important takeaway is that his support appears to have leveled off."
"As national controversies continue and policies begin to have more local effects, the question is whether that ceiling can hold."
Birthright citizenship largely supported
On Trump's first day back in office last year, he signed an executive order that would end birthright citizenship, long seen as a constitutional right. The executive order sought to reinterpret the language that gives citizenship to nearly every child that is born in the U.S., regardless of their parents' legal status.
Immigration advocates, expectant mothers and others filed lawsuits, and the case partially came before the Supreme Court last year. The justices decided to take up the case for their 2025-26 term and will hear oral arguments sometime this spring, issuing a decision in the case before the term ends in late June.
According to the survey, Utahns overwhelmingly support birthright citizenship. The poll found that 44% of voters in the state strongly support birthright citizenship and 23% somewhat support it. Just 14% say they are somewhat opposed and 13% say they are strongly opposed.
Younger voters tend to support birthright citizenship more than older voters, but overall, the totals remained above 50%, the survey found.
Among respondents aged 18 to 34, the support was highest, with 72% favoring birthright citizenship. The support fell among older generations, with the lowest in favor being 54% among respondents 65 and older.
The survey also showed that birthright citizenship is supported across the political spectrum. People who say they voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election were the most enthusiastic about birthright citizenship, with 89% showing support. Among those who did not vote in the election, 67% say they support birthright citizenship. The support was lowest among those who cast ballots for Trump in 2024, but crossed the majority threshold with 54% of Trump voters who support birthright citizenship.
"Birthright citizenship is one of the clearest examples in this poll of Utah voters separating themselves from the broader national immigration debate," Perry said. "Strong majorities across party and age groups continue to support it, suggesting the policy aligns with how many Utahns think citizenship should work."
"While it remains prominent in national politics, it is not an issue where Trump appears to be shifting opinion in Utah," he added.
The survey was conducted Jan. 7-12 among 799 registered voters in Utah. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Birthright citizenship is also nationally well liked. According to the American Family Survey, a collaboration of Brigham Young University's Wheatley Institute, BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy and Deseret News, YouGov polled U.S. adults and found that 70% of Americans say that birthright citizenship is a constitutional right.
