President Donald Trump is back in the White House following a historic victory in November, and Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. GOP voters are, predictably, feeling good about their political future, but Democrats are struggling. According to an Associated Press/NORC poll published this week, 55% of Republican voters are “optimistic” about the party’s future, up from 47% in July 2024. And while 50% are “pessimistic” about the state of American politics today, that’s down from nearly three-quarters (73%) last summer.

Meanwhile, only about one-third (35%) of Democrats are “optimistic” about their party’s future, down from nearly 60% in July, while 36% are “pessimistic” about the party’s future, up 10 points since last year. Democrats are also increasingly “pessimistic” about the state of American politics, going from 60% last year to 73% this month, and have soured on “the way our leaders are chosen under our political system,” with 35% being “optimistic” and 46% “pessimistic” in July to only 14% being “optimistic” and 55% being “pessimistic” as of this month.

Additionally, Republicans hold a significantly more favorable view of their party than Democrats do of theirs. Overall, 81% of Republicans view their party favorably, while only 70% of Democrats view theirs favorably. Party dissatisfaction is also lower among Republicans than among Democrats, with only 17% of Republicans holding an unfavorable view of the GOP and over a quarter (27%) of Democrats holding an unfavorable view of theirs.

The AP/NORC poll comes as numerous surveys show a growing dissatisfaction among Democratic voters with their own party’s policies and leadership. A March CNN survey found that support for the Democratic Party was cratering among the party’s voters, with only 63% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independent voters expressing satisfaction with the party, down from 72% in January. A Gallup poll published in April reported that confidence in congressional Democratic leadership has fallen to a mere 25%, the lowest point since 2001.

One factor driving Democratic voters’ dissatisfaction with their own party is the progressive policies espoused by Democratic officials. While leaders and elected officials have emphasized their support for LGBT issues and illegal immigrants, surveys show that Democratic voters are less enthusiastic about such policies. A New York Times/Ipsos poll published in March, for example, found that a combined total of 62% of Democrats believed either that support for transgenderism has gone “too far” (23%) or has reached an acceptable stage, while only 37% of Democrats believed that transgender policies haven’t “gone far enough.” Nearly 70% of Democrats expressed opposition to allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports, and 54% opposed allowing minors access to gender transition procedures such as puberty blockers or hormone drugs.

Additionally, 44% of Democrats either “strongly” or “somewhat” supported deporting illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration, 83% supported deporting illegal immigrants who have criminal records, and nearly a third (32%) supported deporting all illegal immigrants outright.