At the end of 2024, the national deficit reached an eye-watering $1.8 trillion, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. As Trump prepares to take office January 21, 2025, the question remains: How will the government afford some of his plans?
A few of president-elect Trump’s ideas have hefty price tags, like his proposed mass deportation program. His tax cuts have a history of resulting in national debt increases as well; the Tax Policy Center estimates the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 added $1-$2 trillion to the federal debt. Americans were happy to vote Trump in—he was the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote in 20 years—but now, they’re waiting to see how he and his administration will fund the government.
The national deficit was a big-deal issue for many voters during the 2024 presidential election. (It was such a concern, in fact, that one of the Resonate Voter Landscape segments was called the National Debt Hawks for their laser focus on the issue.) And as Trump begins his second term, advocacy organizations have a unique opportunity to learn more about 2024 voters who care about federal spending and mobilize them to take action in a way that could affect the course of 2025.
It’ll be especially important to learn about what else these voters prioritize because the national deficit is tied to so many other government policies. Using rAI, the Resonate AI-powered data engine, we looked at the audience of 2024 voters who are concerned about the national debt and gleaned crucial insights.
Who Is This Audience?
During the 2024 presidential election, these Americans saw the rising federal debt as a major threat to the United States, and they were looking for a candidate who would reduce the debt and balance the nation’s budget. They’re also overwhelmingly registered Republicans: 52% are members of the GOP, while just 24% are independents and 22% are Democrats. In addition to the national deficit, they also particularly care about:
- Maintaining their Second Amendment rights
- Developing traditional energy sources
- Toughening law enforcement and prosecution
- Controlling illegal immigration
- Strengthening foreign policy and defense
A significant percentage of this audience—89%—considers themselves to be either fiscally moderate or conservative, and 77% consider themselves to be socially moderate or conservative. Their top priorities for presidential candidate platforms were either finance or immigration related, reflecting two areas where Donald Trump dominated during the election.
What Does This All Mean?
Resonate’s in-depth, continuously updated data represents the complexity of American sentiments toward the national deficit, which is tied to and influenced by so many other factors. Take Social Security and Medicare, for instance, both of which have been on the chopping block for Republicans since at least March of 2024: Members of the voting public who are concerned about the federal debt have mixed views on cutting these programs. Under a quarter support those money-saving measures, while over half oppose them. And developing traditional energy sources and building new pipelines, while popular with this audience, may have varied actual results on the national deficit. While new pipelines, for instance, can mean increased revenue for the government through new and additional taxes, they can also result in expenses in the event of a disaster or cleanup.
