How to Become Do-Something Democrats

Voters are also prepared to reward continued pressure to release the Epstein files, with about half of voters, including independents, believing that Trump and Epstein preyed on women together.

October 23, 2025

As the government shutdown continues, Democrats have the spotlight. Blueprint’s last release explored how Democrats can make the most of it. New data from the same survey looks at what they can do as the spotlight fades.

The data reveals a clear opening: it’s Trump’s economy now. Voters blame Republicans for rising prices and inflation—and when you zero in, they blame Trump specifically. But while Trump now bears the brunt of blame for high costs, congressional Republicans remain relatively insulated, with congressional Democrats receiving twice as much blame as their GOP counterparts for rising prices and inflation. Additionally, while there’s no clear consensus on who’s the current leader of the Democratic Party, to the extent that there is one, it’s Chuck Schumer, followed by Kamala Harris and Hakeem Jeffries.

To help the Democratic Party navigate this landscape, Blueprint tested two sets of actions: real actions Democratic leaders have taken recently, and hypothetical policies the party could announce. On what the party has done so far, voters give the most credit for making protecting healthcare a priority, calling for the release of the Epstein files, and some representatives backing a ban on members of Congress trading stocks.

As for what the Democratic Party could put forth as an agenda, there’s a significant appetite for cracking down on companies that price-gouge and overcharge for groceries and medical care, leveraging growing voter association of economic unfairness with Donald Trump’s presidency. Democratic voters also express significant support for investigating and prosecuting ICE agents for harassing or arresting U.S. citizens, repealing the One Big Beautiful Bill, and repealing Trump’s tariffs, while a new push for paid family leave and expanded child tax credit and tax credits to help afford groceries particularly appeal to independents. Both groups respond well to the idea of raising taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires.

One thing is especially clear: Americans want to see the Epstein files. In a straight test of whether the DOJ should be required to release all information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, an overwhelming majority of voters—76%—say yes. And the call to release them was among the most popular recent actions Democrats have taken.

KEY FINDINGS

49% of voters blame Republicans for rising prices, while 37% blame Democrats.
When asked who is most to blame for rising prices, inflation, and the rising costs of food, electricity, and health insurance premiums, pluralities of voters (ranging from 32% to 40%) say “Trump” across the board. But twice as many voters blame congressional Democrats for these issues than congressional Republicans.
Democrats would be wise to make the most of voters’ grievances with an economy they now associate with President Trump, building on their existing push to protect healthcare while advancing bolder action on grocery and pharmaceutical costs, paid family leave, and the child tax credit.
Voters are also prepared to reward continued pressure to release the Epstein files, with about half of voters, including independents, believing that Trump and Epstein preyed on women together.

Recent and Hypothetical Democratic Actions That Resonate

Blueprint conducted two MaxDiff tests—a survey method in which respondents are asked to choose their preferred option among two randomized items. The first assessed reactions to recent actions taken by Democratic leaders and representatives, and the second assessed reactions to hypothetical policies or positions the Democratic Party could announce. In both tests, voters were asked which actions or hypothetical policies would make them more supportive of Democrats.

Among voters overall, the most commonly preferred recent Democratic actions are announcing that protecting healthcare will be the party’s top priority, calling on Trump and the Department of Justice to release the full Epstein files, pushing for a bill to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, announcing that protecting democracy will be the party’s top priority. The least frequently preferred actions are shifting public-safety framing from “tough on crime” to “serious about safety,” some Democratic House members crossing party lines to vote for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment to strip Israel of $500 million in Iron Dome funding, and holding a land acknowledgement at the DNC.

For Democrats, the most-preferred recent Democratic actions are announcing that protecting healthcare will be the party’s top priority, announcing protecting democracy will be the party’s top priority, and calling for the release of the full Epstein files.
For independents, the most-preferred recent Democratic actions are announcing that protecting healthcare will be the party’s top priority, calling for the release of the full Epstein files, and supporting local law enforcement rather than agreeing to allow the military to take over cities and states.

The hypothetical Democratic policies most preferred by voters overall are cracking down on companies that are price-gouging on groceries and other household goods and cracking down on pharmaceutical and healthcare companies that are overcharging.

Other popular hypothetical Democratic policies include cracking down on social media companies pushing content that is harmful to children, issuing tax credits to help people save money on groceries, a new push for paid family leave and an expanded child tax credit, raising taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires, committing to balancing the federal budget, and investigating and prosecuting ICE agents for harassing or arresting US citizens.

It’s worth noting that while the social media policy ranks third overall, its position is largely driven by very high support among Republicans (for whom it was the most-preferred hypothetical tested); independent support is on the higher end, though notably below Republican levels, while Democratic support is significantly lower.

Democrats’ most-preferred policies are cracking down on companies that price-gouge on groceries and household goods, investigating and prosecuting ICE agents for harassing or arresting U.S. citizens, repealing the One Big Beautiful Bill, repealing Trump’s tariffs, and raising taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires.
Independents’ most-preferred policies are cracking down on pharmaceutical and healthcare companies that overcharge, cracking down on price-gouging on groceries and household goods, a new push for paid family leave and an expanded child tax credit, tax credits to help people save money on groceries, and raising taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires.

The least-preferred hypothetical Democratic policies overall are announcing that the party will no longer accept donations from AIPAC, prohibiting anyone over 65 from running for federal office, and requiring all public universities to automatically admit the top 10% of in-state students based solely on grades. A national rent freeze and rehiring federal workers fired by DOGE also ranked toward the bottom of the pack.

It’s Trump’s Economy Now

Forty-nine percent of voters overall blame Republicans for rising prices generally (compared to 37% who blame Democrats), and 48% blame Republicans for rising food prices specifically (compared to 37% who blame Democrats. Forty-six blame Republicans for rising health insurance premiums, while 35% blame Democrats. The deltas are slightly smaller on inflation (47% blame Republicans; 39% blame Democrats) and rising electricity prices (43% blame Republicans; 35% blame Democrats), but pluralities still blame Republicans.

Zooming in on independents:

Rising prices: 47% blame Republicans; 30% blame Democrats
Rising food prices: 45% blame Republicans; 29% blame Democrats
Rising health insurance premiums: 43% blame Republicans; 28% blame Democrats
Inflation: 44% blame Republicans; 31% blame Democrats
Rising electricity prices: 37% blame Republicans; 27% blame Democrats

When Trump, Biden, congressional Republicans, and congressional Democrats are added to the mix, voters assign Trump the most blame for rising prices and inflation. Forty percent blame the President for rising prices generally and rising food prices specifically, and 39% blame him for inflation. Similar to the results of the previous question’s Republicans-versus-Democrats framing, smaller but still significant pluralities blame him for rising health insurance premiums (34%) and rising electricity prices (32%).

While voters clearly hold Trump responsible for rising prices and inflation, Republicans in Congress are bearing less of a burden. In fact, congressional Democrats receive twice as much blame as congressional Republicans for rising prices (18% versus 9%), rising food prices (18% versus 9%), and inflation (17% versus 9%). While the deltas are smaller when it comes to rising health insurance premiums (20% blame Democrats in Congress; 14% blame Republicans in Congress) and rising electricity prices (19% blame Democrats in Congress; 13% blame Republicans in Congress), voters still blame congressional Democrats more.

Zooming in on independents:

Rising prices: 42% blame Trump; 16% blame Biden; 16% blame Democrats in Congress; 9% blame Republicans in Congress
Rising food prices: 42% blame Trump; 17% blame Biden; 15% blame Democrats in Congress; 8% blame Republicans in Congress
Rising health insurance premiums: 33% blame Trump; 11% blame Biden; 18% blame Democrats in Congress; 15% blame Republicans in Congress
Inflation: 40% blame Trump; 20% blame Biden; 14% blame Democrats in Congress; 8% blame Republicans in Congress
Rising electricity prices: 31% blame Trump; 14% blame Biden; 16% blame Democrats in Congress; 13% blame Republicans in Congress

Independents (59%) find a narrative that Trump and Republicans are to blame for rising electricity prices because they are blocking clean energy more persuasive than a narrative blaming Democrats for market-distorting subsidies (41%). By the same margin, independents find a narrative that Republicans are responsible for rising health insurance costs due to Medicaid and refusal to extend healthcare marketplace subsidies more persuasive than a narrative that Democrats are to blame due to their implementation of Obamacare and other programs.

There is no clear consensus among voters on who the leader of the Democratic Party is. Twenty-nine percent voters say it’s Chuck Schumer—the only figure with a greater share than the “none of these” option. Nineteen percent of voters identify Kamala Harris and Hakeem Jeffries as the leader, while 17% say Gavin Newsom. Given that voters blame congressional Democrats more than congressional Republicans for the high prices, having congressional leaders as the face of the party may present a liability.

Trump’s Persistent Epstein Problem

A plurality of voters, 45%, believe Trump and Epstein were close friends who preyed on women together, while a smaller share, 39%, believe the men were acquaintances who fell out after Trump learned about Epstein’s troubling behavior. Sixteen percent dismiss the idea that Trump and Epstein had any relationship at all.

Opinion on the nature of Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein splits along partisan lines, with an overwhelming 80% of Democrats believing that the two men preyed on women together, compared to 10% of Republicans who say the same. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans Trump and Epstein were never close and had a falling out, while the rest believe there was no relationship at all. About half of independents believe Trump and Epstein preyed on women together, while the other half believe the more Trump-friendly version of the story or dismiss it altogether.

Seventy-six percent of voters support—58% of them “strongly”—requiring the DoJ to release all files related to the Epstein case. That includes 87% of Democrats and 78% of independents. A somewhat smaller but still decisive majority of Republicans, 65%, also support the publication of the information, though only 39% “strongly” support it, compared to 78% of Democrats and 58% of independents who register “strong” support. Eleven percent of Republicans oppose, compared to 5% of independents and 4% of Democrats.

ABOUT THE POLL

Blueprint surveyed an online sample of 3,028 voters from September 19 to September 24, weighted to education, gender, race, survey engagement, and 2020 election results. The survey was conducted in English, and its margin of error is ±2.1 percentage points.

Full toplines are available here.

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Evan Roth Smith
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