Most Utahns support Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ — even though they think it will raise the debt

Originally Published by Deseret News

By Cami Mondeaux

July 29, 2025

WASHINGTON — Most Utah voters say they support the massive tax package passed by Congress earlier this month expediting much of President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda — even though they admit it will likely add to the national debt over the coming years.

Half of Utah voters (50%) say they support the “Big, Beautiful Bill Act” as it was passed in early July, with only 38% saying they oppose the measure, according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX. Another 12% said they were unsure.

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Nearly all Utah voters (83%) said they were aware of what the massive bill was and what policy measures it contained before it was signed by Trump on July 4. But many of these same voters acknowledge the bill could have financial consequences.

Voters split along party lines when asked if they thought the flagship legislation — which extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while greenlighting billions of dollars in spending cuts to Medicaid and other welfare programs — would improve or worsen the economy, the poll showed. More than half (54%) of voters say the package will improve the economy compared to 46% who said the opposite.

Republicans make up most of those in favor, with 75% of self-identified Republican voters saying they believe the economy will grow compared to just 12% of Democrats who said the same.

Still, GOP voters appear to admit the national debt could become worse because of the newly enacted policies.

More than half (52%) of voters say the debt will increase because of the domestic policy package, according to the poll. When split by party, 40% of Republicans say the deficit will increase compared to just 35% who said the debt would decrease. Another 26% said they did not think it would make a difference.

It’s not surprising so many Republicans stand behind the bill, according to Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics. However, he noted voters also see some drawbacks to the signature legislation.

“What stands out is the hesitation some voters express about specific impacts, like the effect on the national debt,” Perry told the Deseret News. “People can support big policy changes even if feeling uncertain about parts of it. In this case, many Republican voters recognize the bill may increase the debt but still back it because they believe in the broader message or trust the people leading the effort. Rather than a contradiction, this reflects how voters often weigh tradeoffs.”

On the other hand, a plurality of Republican voters (41%) say inflation will go down due to the bill. Only 31% of Republicans believe inflation would go up as a result of the legislation, according to the poll.

The poll comes as Republicans return home for the August recess and lawmakers must begin campaigning for next year’s midterm elections — with the “big, beautiful bill” likely to be the biggest messaging tool for both parties.

Congress passed the massive tax package just before the July Fourth holiday, enacting the president’s domestic policy agenda ranging from border security to energy production to tax reform. The budget framework also approves trillions of dollars in spending cuts to government programs like Medicaid to offset the costs of permanent tax cuts expected to take effect at the end of this year.

Trump and GOP leaders are imploring their members to defend the budget behemoth to their constituents, particularly those who are running for reelection in tight races. But that could be easier said than done, as polling shows the bill underwater on the national stage due to concerns it will raise costs and hurt the economy.

While the package greenlights roughly $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, the full package is projected to increase the national deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Much of the new federal spending comes from provisions on military and immigration costs while stripping funds from some welfare programs and green energy tax credits.

The Deseret News/Hinckley Poll was conducted by HarrisX between July 9-16 among 802 registered Utah voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.