Most Americans think Trump's border wall funding would be better spent on healthcare, education, infrastructure
While healthcare has slipped in importance in voters' minds following the midterms, many still think it should be funded over a border wall.
Even though a Gallup poll released last week found healthcare is slipping in voters' minds following November's midterm election, many Americans still consider healthcare to be more important, funding-wise, than the border wall being pushed by President Donald Trump.
Trump has shut down the federal government and demanded $5 billion in funding for his border wall, but according to a Business Insider survey, 36 percent of voters said $5 billion would be better spent on healthcare and 30 percent said they would want the funds to go toward infrastructure.
IMPACT
All told, 81 percent said the best use of the $5 billion would be healthcare, infrastructure or education.
Only 19 percent of respondents said a border wall would be the best use of the $5 billion in question. Even among conservatives, the wall drew just 53 percent support. Self-described liberals showed the lowest support for the wall at only 2 percent.
While 49 percent of liberals would rather see the money spend on healthcare, about 16 percent of conservatives expressed similar sentiments.
About 14 percent of liberals said they'd rather spend $5 billion on Pre-K programs, while this notion failed to gain any support among conservatives.
THE TREND
Only five percent of Americans now say healthcare is the top problem facing the country, a six percentage-point decrease since before the midterms, according to the earlier Gallup poll.
With the passing of the election came a dip in debate and coverage, and healthcare's decline as a major issue now ties it, percentage-wise, with the environment and "lack of respect for each other" in the hierarchy of top problems.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
