The news: The majority of Americans are opposed to health agency cuts by the Trump administration, according to KFF’s April Health Tracking Poll.

Digging into the data: Six in 10 people are against staffing and spending cuts, and 54% say the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency went too far in its health cuts.

Opposition breaks mostly along party lines, although a majority of non-MAGA Republicans (as categorized by KFF) are also against health cuts.

• 88% of Democrats oppose major cuts to staff and spending at federal health agencies, followed by 67% of independents.
• The split among Republicans is notable; 52% of non-MAGA Republicans are against health cuts, but only 21% of MAGA Republicans say the same.

People are also against cutting back public health programs:

• There’s large majority support against federal funding cuts for Social Security (84%), Medicare (79%) and Medicaid (76%).
• Americans also oppose federal funding cuts for infectious disease tracking (71%), university and medical center research (69%), and HIV prevention programs (65%).

Why it matters: The Trump administration and Republican-majority Congress want to pass a budget with major tax cuts and increased spending for defense and border security. However, the Congressional Budget Office calculated that the $880 billion proposed cuts under Energy and Commerce isn’t possible without cuts to Medicaid.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has repeatedly assured the public that Medicaid, along with Medicare and Social Security, won’t be cut. However, Trump on Friday released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which includes massive cuts to the NIH and CDC.

Congress and Trump may be headed for a showdown, per Politico. House leaders want to cut the program by rolling back Obama-era Medicaid expansions or capping Medicaid state funding, but Trump is concerned about anything that creates the impression that he’s going back on his word.

Our take: With most Americans against reductions in health spending, Trump could go for a public win and kibosh health-related budget cuts. However, it’s more likely his administration will spin any health cuts, even to Medicaid, as fraud and waste. This would create a ripple effect across the US healthcare system—from overcrowded ERs to financial shortfalls for states and provider organizations.