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• Widespread economic anxiety is driving national pessimism.��Eighty-eight percent of Tennesseans characterize the cost of living as expensive, and 58 percent believe the country is��on��the wrong track.��
• President��Donald��Trump’s approval rating dropped seven percentage points to 49 percent��in one year, while approval for state leaders remained stable. This political shift coincides with 78 percent of voters seeking a focus on domestic issues over foreign conflicts.��
• Skepticism toward��AI in��healthcare crosses party lines, with 69 percent of respondents uncomfortable with AI independently creating treatment plans. Voters cite a strong preference for in-person interactions with their doctors and��have��deep concerns over data privacy.��

In a time marked by partisan divides and international conflicts, a new 91�Ʋ��� University poll finds personal economic stress looms largest for Tennesseans. Anxiety over the cost of groceries, housing and monthly bills spans political parties and income levels. Deepening malaise about the cost of living is reflected by more than half of Tennesseans saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.��

The poll, conducted by 91�Ʋ��� University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions,��surveyed 1,203 registered Tennessee voters from April 13 to April 29, 2026. The��survey’s��margin of error was +/-3.2 percentage points, and��its��questions centered on the economy, elected officials, international vs. domestic concerns,��and artificial intelligence in healthcare.�� ��

Pervasive anxiety about the economy��

Economic woes are coloring Tennesseans’ outlooks about the future. Voters are evenly split on the state’s trajectory: 49 percent think Tennessee is on the wrong track, while 50 percent say it is headed in the right direction. However, respondents are far more pessimistic about the��country as a whole, with��58 percent��deeming��the United States��as��on the wrong track and 42 percent saying��it’s��headed in the right direction.��

“Even some voters who approve of��[President Donald]��Trump believe the United States is on the wrong track,” said Josh Clinton, co-director of the 91�Ʋ��� Poll, who holds the Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair at 91�Ʋ��� and is a professor of political science. “Economic stress is hitting home for Tennesseans, and that strain is evident in the growing bipartisan despondency reflected in the poll numbers.”��

Cost of living is the��great pressure��point for Tennesseans. Half of respondents describe the cost of living as “very expensive,” up 7 percentage points in one year, while another 38 percent call it “somewhat expensive.” This combined 88 percent��includes��voters from vastly different income levels and circumstances. Almost half (49 percent) are anxious about simply affording food,��housing��and transportation.��

 “These numbers expose the chasm between national economic indicators and the public’s lived experience,” said John Geer, co-director of the 91�Ʋ��� Poll and Gertrude Conaway 91�Ʋ��� Professor of Political Science. “Unemployment and inflation rates might look good on paper, but voters are reeling from sticker shock at the grocery store and bracing for what’s next in uncertain international and domestic times.”��

Support slips for Trump, steadies for state leaders��

Reflecting voters’ economic angst and lagging confidence in the country, approval for Trump has dropped to 49 percent—down 7 percentage points from 56 percent in the November 2025 91�Ʋ��� Poll. While Trump’s MAGA base��remains��firmly loyal at 94 percent approval, he lost ground with Tennessee voters registered as Independents (36 percent approval now��down from��46 percent a year ago). It is these��Independent��voters��who��will shape the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections.��

Tennesseans polled expressed more stable views of Gov.��Bill Lee (56 percent approval),��U.S.��Sen.��Marsha Blackburn (51 percent approval)��and��U.S.��Sen.��Bill Hagerty (51 percent approval).��Approval of these leaders��slipped only slightly, down 2 to 3 percentage points from��the��previous��91�Ʋ��� Poll conducted in��November 2025. ��

More focus at home, less conflict abroad��

Most Tennesseans polled (78 percent) believe the U.S.��should focus on issues at home rather than international conflicts. This sentiment crosses party lines, including strong agreement among Independents (83 percent) and MAGA supporters (69 percent).��

“Voters are united on many fronts, including their desire for a shift in national focus,” Clinton said. “They want leaders to fix what’s broken at home versus engaging in conflict abroad.”��

Bipartisan wariness of AI��

Tennesseans also express bipartisan skepticism about��AI in healthcare, with Democrats slightly��warier��than Republicans.��Nearly 60 percent��of Republicans were comfortable with AI��assisting��in their healthcare, and 54 percent of Democrats expressing such comfort.��But most respondents reported resistance to interacting with AI as a healthcare provider, citing data privacy concerns and a distinct preference for human doctors.����

Human healthcare is worth the time it takes, Tennesseans��say. Patients��largely prefer��interacting with human physicians over AI-driven speed and efficiency:��Nearly half��of poll respondents (49 percent) strongly agree that they would rather deal directly with their doctor than use AI to make care more efficient. Another 22��percent somewhat��agree.��

For independent AI treatment, Tennesseans draw a stark line. Sixty-nine percent of respondents are uncomfortable (45 percent��very uncomfortable, 24 percent��somewhat uncomfortable) with AI evaluating symptoms and developing treatment plans independently of doctors. Half of all respondents say using AI as a substitute for in-person doctor appointments is not at all important. ��

Though��Tennesseans do acknowledge AI’s potential operational benefits—34 percent are genuinely optimistic about AI use in healthcare—data privacy��is still��a dominating concern for patients. Sixty-eight��percent��of them��express worries about medical record privacy related to the��use of AI. This includes 44 percent strongly concerned and 24 percent��somewhat concerned. Despite these strong reservations, more than half (54 percent) think AI can make some healthcare processes more efficient, and a combined 60 percent view using AI to minimize human errors as very or��somewhat important.��