Last week, I launched this new Monday morning series with a look at what Americans argued about over Thanksgiving: border security, Venezuela, and the growing distrust of political institutions.
This week, the sentiment picture shifted again, but in ways that are increasingly favorable to conservatives heading into 2026.
The theme of the week wasn't fear.
It was frustration — and a growing demand for competence, restraint, and constitutional limits.
Across millions of online conversations tracked by EyesOver, four issues dominated:
- Border security and asylum failures
- The high cost of living and affordability pressure
- Concerns about unchecked executive power — especially in foreign policy
- Deepening skepticism of legal immigration programs that disadvantage American workers
And underneath all of it?
A clear sentiment shift toward Republican approaches on immigration, economic policy, and institutional accountability, and a recognition that the economic environment is quietly improving under a GOP policy mix.
1. Border Security Remains the Country's Central Anxiety — and It Favors the GOP
Border security once again produced the strongest and most consistent spike of the week. And unlike last week, which focused on a single incident, this week's conversation was broader and more ideological.
The scandal in Minnesota helped Americans connect three things:
- The sheer scale of illegal crossings
- The fiscal burden, and even fraud, of refugee and asylum programs
- And the strain on housing, healthcare, and local services
The phrase that recurred the most across tens of thousands of posts was simple: "We can't afford this anymore."
This is a shift.
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Immigration is no longer just a security issue — it is now an affordability issue.
Democrats have no answer for this because they cannot defend the cost of policies voters believe they created.
Republicans, by contrast, have spent the past year emphasizing enforcement, expedited removals, and structural reforms backed by broad public support.
That is why the sentiment advantage on immigration remains overwhelmingly on the Right.
2. Affordability: The GOP's Strongest Terrain As Economic Sentiment Improves
EyesOver tracked a significant development this week: Americans are finally separating their frustration with prices from their outlook on the economy.
That is new, and it is powerful.
Three trends emerged:
A. Voters are beginning to credit Republican policy pressure for stabilizing energy and grocery prices.
Posts repeatedly referenced lower gas prices, improving supply chains, and optimism about the holiday shopping season. Many connected those improvements to GOP opposition to regulation-heavy Democratic spending.
B. The affordability debate is now tied to immigration.
Housing shortages, wage competition, and pressure on schools and hospitals are overwhelmingly blamed on the prior administration's failure to secure the border, not on current GOP leadership.
C. People believe the economy is moving in the right direction.
It's not euphoric, but it's the first sustained positive movement we've recorded in months.
And here is the political implication: Economic optimism is returning first among independents, and it is tied to Republican policy arguments.
That is the kind of shift that decides midterms.
3. Venezuela: Americans Want Strength — but Also Restraint and Clarity
In last week's column, I wrote about the rising concern surrounding Venezuela. This week confirmed something important: Americans support strong leadership, but they want Congress involved and clear limits on military force.
This is not a rejection of President Trump — far from it.
The data shows widespread support for the Trump Administration's tough posture toward Maduro, coupled with an insistence that Congress assert its constitutional war powers.
Conservatives framed this not as criticism, but as a return to the founding design: a belief that Republican strength abroad is most effective when paired with Republican constitutionalism at home.
This is a notable evolution: Voters trust Donald Trump's instincts, but they want guardrails around how far any president, especially a Democratic one, could go in the future.
That is a pro-Constitution, pro-Congress sentiment, not an anti-Trump trend.
4. Legal Immigration Programs: The Unexpected Economic Flashpoint
The most surprising story of the week was the explosion of interest around H-1B visas and legal immigration programs, not illegal immigration.
Americans increasingly believe:
- H-1B visas suppress wages
- Entry-level STEM workers are pushed aside
- Tech firms use foreign labor to avoid hiring U.S. graduates
- And dual-income visa households contribute to housing inflation
This is not fringe sentiment.
It is now mainstream.
And here's the key: GOP proposals for tightening H-1B criteria, raising wage minimums, and prioritizing domestic hiring outperform Democratic proposals by wide margins.
Republicans are now winning the affordability argument through the immigration argument; something Democrats still have no messaging strategy to counter.
5. The Common Thread: Americans Want Accountability, Restraint, and Results
The sentiment picture across all issues points in one direction: Voters are rewarding the party that looks like it is trying to restore order; economically, constitutionally, and at the border.
Republicans benefit from this because:
- Democrats are tied to the cost-of-living crisis
- Democrats are tied to the immigration surge
- Democrats are tied to institutional failures voters no longer excuse
Meanwhile, the economic narrative is already shifting in ways favorable to the GOP:
- More confidence in future prices
- Optimism about 2026 job markets
- Increasing belief that "things are finally stabilizing"
Affordability remains the top issue for 2026, and Republicans are regaining credibility on it precisely because voters tie affordability to border security, energy policy, and regulatory restraint. Voters don't believe these problems are solved by Democratic spending programs.
Why It Matters
This was the first week since summer when all three major sentiment clusters, the economy, immigration, and foreign policy, moved in a direction favorable to conservatives.
If this continues, Republicans will enter 2026 with:
- A strong lead on inflation and affordability
- A dominant advantage on border security
- And a growing perception of being the only party serious about constitutional limits on executive power
Next Monday, we'll see whether these trends strengthen or whether a new issue breaks through. But this week tells us something important: The public is tired of chaos, and they believe the GOP is the party trying to restore order.
And for Republicans planning their 2026 campaigns, that may be the most important signal of all.
Christopher S. Wilson is CEO of EyesOver US. He is an award-winning data strategist and the founder of WPA Intelligence. He was instrumental in gubernatorial wins for Glenn Youngkin, Brian Kemp, Kevin Stitt, and Ron DeSantis and led analytics for Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign. Named AAPC Pollster of the Year (2021) and Campaigns & Elections Technology Leader of the Year (2019), Chris is a pioneer in data-driven political strategy.
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