57% of likely US voters back Trump's plan for citizen-only census: Rasmussen poll

A new poll has found that the majority of American voters approve of President Donald Trump’s plan for a new census that does not count illegal immigrants. 

The Rasmussen poll found that 57 percent of likely voters polled agreed with Trump’s decision, including 36 percent who strongly agreed. Around one-third of likely voters disagreed (34 percent), including 24 percent who strongly disagreed. The poll was conducted between August 11 and 13 of 1,184 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3 percent. The US Census, which is conducted every 10 years, is used to determine the number of seats each state gets in Congress, as well as the distribution of federal funding.

Earlier in August, Trump announced that he had ordered a new census that does not count illegal immigrants. The last time the census was conducted was in 2020, and the next one is set for 2030. Trump wrote, "I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern-day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024. People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

The move to conduct a new census comes amid a flurry of redistricting efforts in states across the country. Redistricting efforts in Texas saw state Democratic lawmakers flee the state for weeks in an effort to block a vote on the new map, which would see five new GOP-held seats in the US House. California will be putting its redistricting effort on its November ballot.

Trump in July expressed support for a bill introduced into Congress that would force the Census Bureau to redo the census to record only US citizens. "We love it," Trump said. "I know all about it. We want to bring our elections back. The election in 2020 was rigged. Millions and millions of votes. It had to do with COVID and a lot of things, but it really had to do with the crooked people."