ICYMI: ACA Grows in Popularity as Trump and MAGA Republicans Threaten to Repeal It

Key Point: “The Affordable Care Act and Obamacare are both deeply, and increasingly, popular, though views are more positive towards the ACA. Biden and Democrats hold a double-digit trust advantage on the issue of health care, and two in three Americans say it is likely that Republicans would repeal the ACA if they were to gain power. Messaging that repealing the ACA is too risky and that Congress should not cut health care for 30 million Americans decisively wins against a conservative argument that the ACA should be repealed and replaced.”

Navigator Research: The Affordable Care Act: A Guide for Advocates
[Navigator Research, 12/7/23]

  • A majority of independents (55% favorable) and more than one in three Republicans (37%) view the Affordable Care Act favorably.
  • Since 2020, ratings of the ACA have improved by a net 14 points (from net +23 to net +37 favorable), and ratings of Obamacare have improved by a net 10 points (from net +5 to net +15).
  • Biden and Democrats are more trusted to handle health care by a 14-point margin overall, driven by a large advantage within their own party (net +81 trust Biden and Democrats) and a 16-point advantage among independents.
  • Majorities across partisan and racial lines – including 54% of independents and 60% of Republicans – agree that if Trump and Republicans win control of the White House and Congress, it is likely that they will repeal the Affordable Care Act.
  • In response to a conservative statement that the ACA should be repealed, messaging that emphasizes repeal “is too much of a risk” and that “Congress shouldn’t cut health care for 30 million Americans” wins overwhelmingly (net +42 agree), while messaging that the ACA “is our settled health care system” and “is working for millions of Americans” also wins by a large margin (net +34).