Source: Emerson College; Translated by: Baishui, Golden Finance

A new national survey from Emerson College found that about one in five voters (19%) have invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrencies, while 81% have not. Of voters who have used cryptocurrencies, 61% have not used them for any purchases, while 39% have.

“Crypto users are younger and represent larger minority groups, highlighting cryptocurrency as a growing, diverse constituency for political support: 57% of cryptocurrency users have a favorable view of Donald Trump,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Nearly a third of voters under 40 have used cryptocurrency, a percentage that declines with age, with 28% of voters in their 40s, 17% in their 50s, 9% in their 60s, and just 4% in their 70s being cryptocurrency users.”

  • Men are twice as likely as women to use cryptocurrency: 26% of men use cryptocurrency, compared to 13% of women.

  • Crypto users are also more likely to be from minority groups: About a third of Asian, Hispanic or black voters participate in cryptocurrency, compared with 14% of white voters.

Tariff Policy

Regarding the U.S. imposing additional tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, most voters believe that such tariffs will harm the U.S. economy: 51% believe that additional tariffs on Canada will harm the U.S. economy, 50% believe that additional tariffs on Mexico will harm the U.S. economy, and 49% believe that additional tariffs on China will harm the U.S. economy. 39% believe that tariffs on China will help the U.S. economy, 36% believe that tariffs on Mexico will help the U.S. economy, and 32% believe that tariffs on Canada will help the U.S. economy.

"Voters' attitudes toward tariffs diverge sharply from their 2024 voting preferences," Kimball said. "Among Trump voters, 69% believe tariffs on China will help the economy, while 17% disagree. In contrast, 79% of Harris voters believe China tariffs will hurt the economy, while 13% believe they are beneficial."

Should Biden's son be pardoned?

President Joe Biden's approval rating is 36% and his disapproval rating is 54%. His approval rating mirrors his November numbers, while his disapproval rating is up 2%. President-elect Trump's approval rating has remained steady over the past month at 51%, while 45% have an unfavorable view of him.

Voters were asked whether they supported or opposed President Biden pardoning his son Hunter. A majority (52%) opposed, 28% supported, and 19% were unsure. Voters were also asked whether they would support President-elect Trump pardoning those involved in the events of January 6; 50% opposed, 34% supported, and 16% were neutral.

Healthcare CEO assassinated

A majority of voters (68%) believe the actions of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer were unacceptable. 17% believe the actions were acceptable, while 16% are unsure.

"While 68% of voters overall disapprove of the killer's actions, younger voters and Democrats are more divided - 41% of voters aged 18-29 say the killer's actions are acceptable (24% somewhat acceptable, 17% totally acceptable) while 40% say they are unacceptable; 22% of Democrats say it is acceptable and 59% say it is unacceptable, compared to 12% of Republicans and 16% of independents, highlighting shifts in social attitudes among the youngest voters and within party lines."

Men were more likely than women to say this behavior was acceptable: 19% of men said so, compared to 14% of women.

TikTok ban

A majority of American voters (40%) support banning TikTok starting January 19, while 30% oppose it and 30% are unsure.

"Half of voters under 30 oppose a TikTok ban, while 34% support it," Kimball said. "Support for a ban generally increases with age, with support highest among voters in their 60s at 46%."

Candidate Favorability Survey at the Beginning of 2028

Voters were asked whether they had favorable views of several public figures previously mentioned in Emerson’s November national poll. Mark Cuban (35% favorable, 10% never heard of), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (29% favorable, 14% never heard of) and Pete Buttigieg (34% favorable, 15% never heard of) were the potential candidates with the highest name recognition among voters.

Among Democratic voters, Pete Buttigieg (57%), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (54%), Gavin Newsom (50%), Gretchen Whitmer (46%) and Mark Cuban (44%) are the most popular potential candidates.

“It’s worth noting that while Cuban ranks fifth among Democrats, he leads among independents by 33 percent," Kimball said. "Meanwhile, AOC emerges as the most polarizing figure, with strong support from Democrats but equally strong opposition from Republicans.”

Vice President-elect JD Vance has a mixed favorability rating: 41% have a favorable view of the future vice president, while 41% have an unfavorable view of him. Future co-head of Government Effectiveness Elon Musk also has a mixed favorability rating among voters: 43% have a favorable view of Musk, while 43% have an unfavorable view of him.