Seventy-one percent of Indian Americans disapprove of the way Trump has handled his job as president, and 55 percent express strong disapproval.
A Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center’s 2026 Indian American Attitudes Survey (IAAS), conducted in partnership with YouGov, involving 1,000 Indian American adults, shows that one year into his second term, Indian Americans broadly disapprove of Donald Trump’s performance as president. The survey took place from November 25, 2025, to January 6, 2026.
One year into Trump’s second term, most Indian Americans disapprove of his job performance, particularly in areas such as the domestic economy, international economic policy, and immigration.
Still, a small minority of respondents—14 percent—say they have thought about leaving the United States frequently, while 26 percent have occasionally thought about it. By contrast, 37 percent say they have never considered leaving, and 22 percent report they have only rarely considered it.
While many respondents report preemptively changing how they live, speak, or participate in public life to avoid harassment, most do not plan to leave the country, and a majority still recommend the United States for employment.
Sixty-four percent disapprove of his immigration policy, 68 percent disapprove of his domestic economic policy, and 70 percent disapprove of his international economic policies.
Specifically, the survey asks respondents to evaluate five distinct immigration maneuvers executed by the Trump administration: arresting undocumented immigrants with no criminal record, conducting workplace immigration raids, deporting immigrants to third countries, moving to end birthright citizenship, and levying a $100,000 fee on new H-1B skilled worker visa petitions.
With respect to the levying of a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, which are especially salient to the Indian American community, two-thirds of respondents oppose the action.
Indian Americans generally hold a dim view of Trump 2.0’s immigration actions across the board. There are over 5.2 million Indian Americans in the United States, noted for their socioeconomic status and political engagement. However, under President Donald Trump’s second term, they face new challenges as U.S.-India relations have deteriorated, impacting their role in America’s social and political landscape.
Commentators in the US have noted an increase in online hate speech and discrimination targeting Indian Americans. Indian Americans report widespread perceptions of bias, frequent encounters with online racism, and marked levels of personal harassment or discrimination.
One independent report documented a worrying surge in anti-Indian content on X (formerly Twitter) in late 2025, identifying the United States as an “epicenter of anti-Indian digital racism.” This Carnegie survey of Indian Americans examines shifting vote preferences and rising concerns about discrimination amid U.S. policy changes and geopolitical uncertainty.