Race, immigration, wives keeping maiden names: See how Trump, Biden voters differ

Juan Carlos Castillo, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

Democratic and Republican voters differ in their views about immigration, racial diversity, crime, reproductive rights and even whether is it OK for married couples to keep different last names.

In April 2024, the Pew Research Center surveyed of 8,709 adults, including 7,166 registered voters. Results show how supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held very different opinions on many of these topics, but not so different in others.

Here's what supporters of each candidate thinks:

  • Racial discussion: Trump supporters are less likely to believe that the legacy of slavery affects Black people's positions today compared with Biden supporters, 27% vs. 79%.

  • Historical discussions: Both groups said it is extremely or very important to discuss U.S. historical successes and flaws. Biden supporters (74%) and Trump supporters (71%) say it is extremely or very important to have public discussions about the country’s strengths, while 78% of Biden supporters and 60% of Trump supporters say it is very important to talk about the country’s failures and flaws.

  • Gender identity and same-sex marriage: Trump supporters overwhelmingly believe gender is determined by sex at birth — 90%. Biden supporters are more divided, with 59% saying that someone's gender can differ from that assigned at birth.

  • Last names: Three-quarters of voters say they are comfortable with women not taking their husband's last names. But Trump supporters are less comfortable with that than Biden supporters, with 62% saying they were comfortable with it, compared with 87% of Biden supporters.

  • Immigration: 63% of Trump voters support a national effort to deport all undocumented immigrants, contrasting with 11% among Biden supporters.

  • Criminal justice: 81% of Trump supporters are more likely to believe the system is not tough enough on criminals. 40% of Biden supporters think the same.

  • Family: 59% of Trump supporters prioritize marriage and family more than Biden supporters, 19%.

  • Abortion: 88% of Biden supporters support legal abortion, compared with 38% of Trump supporters.

  • Artificial intelligence: More than half of voters (55%) said AI is bad for society, while 21% said it's as a good thing. 24% expressed a neutral view on AI. There are only modest differences in these views between Trump and Biden supporters. 59% of Trump voters said AI is bad for society, and 51% of Biden supporters said the same.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Poll: Trump, Biden voters split over race, sex, family, immigration