Cygnal Pulse Podcast

Most voters have a strong gut reaction to AI, and for the biggest group, it’s anger, not fear. In this special episode of the Cygnal Pulse Pod, Founder & CEO Brent Buchanan and Senior Partner John Rogers break down our October survey of 1,500 likely general election voters. Voters expect AI to make 10 of 11 areas of life worse, 72% say it’s moving too fast (including 61% of Republicans), and a...

Democrats lead the generic ballot by 9 with less than four weeks to go, but the bigger story is on the Republican side. In our last look before the midterm, Brent Buchanan and John Rogers break down the early October National Voter Trends poll: the Republican voters who think it’s already over, why gas prices now hurt the party in power, and why Chuck Schumer is the better closing villain.  Brent’...

Socialism is now favorable with a third of voters, but 61% of self-identified socialists can't define the word. Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Mitch Brown break down Cygnal's September National Voter Trends poll of 1,500 likely 2026 general-election voters: what's really driving socialist identity (it's housing, not age), why 88% of voters feel something negative about politics while only 25% feel a...

A special mini episode with Brent Buchanan and Nick Weinstein breaking down how fast data centers went from a niche local issue to a national political fight. Awareness has spread widely without any change in how close voters actually live to one. A key takeaway: proximity builds support, not opposition. Voters nearest to real data centers are the most positive based on our data, while the erosion...

The most populist voters in America are the least likely to vote. The most certain voters are the most Democratic. And a quarter of Trump's 2024 coalition is no longer locked in, though almost none of it went to the Democrats. Those three findings come out of two new measures Cygnal is debuting this month, the Turnout Score and the Populism Index, built on our August National Voter Trends poll of...

In this episode, Brent Buchanan and Alex Tarascio break down Cygnal's latest national voter poll, which reveals that GLP-1 medications have become a mainstream part of the healthcare conversation. The data shows that more than one-third of likely voters are currently using, have used, or are considering GLP-1s, challenging the perception that these medications are only for affluent consumers or co...

Cygnal's July NVT poll (1,500 likely voters, fielded right after July 4th) shows Democrats up to D+6 on the generic ballot, but the real story is underneath. The GOP coalition is leaking, the persuadable middle is shrinking, and Congress is cratering across the board. The one figure trending up? Zohran Mamdani, rising with the same voters drifting from the GOP. Gas prices are hitting Republican tu...

Pollsters Brent Buchanan and John Rogers are back with Cygnal's June national survey — and while the horse race hasn't moved much, the mood has. Voters are feeling the economic squeeze, Dems have clawed back the inflation advantage, while the GOP still wins on security. Plus: what America's 250th reveals about the left-right divide on patriotism and where the real Republican opportunities are head...

Special Mini Episode | Live from Pubkey DC Four years in. Hundreds of honorees. One conversation to tell the story behind it.  ARRO founder Chris Lane joins Brent Buchanan and Chris Kratzer live at Pubkey DC (right before the 2026 ARRO 30 Under Thirty Award Reception) to talk about how this initiative started, how it's grown, and where it's headed. Plus, personal advice for the next generation of...

The fundamentals are flashing red for Republicans — but it's not a blue wave yet. In this month's National Voter Trends poll of 1,500 likely midterm voters, Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Mitch Brown break down why GOP losses are drifting to "undecided" rather than across the aisle, what voters are really saying about cost of living (and why "the economy is strong" falls flat), and how a single ball...

This month's National Voter Trends poll of 1,500 likely midterm voters is flashing warning signs that the political media isn't talking about. Brent Buchanan and Nick Weinstein break down why voters blame both government and corporations for high prices — and what that means for Republican economic messaging. They dig into a stunning finding on immigration: nearly half of Democrats actually suppor...

In this episode of Pulse Pod, Cygnal pollsters Brent Buchanan and Alex Tarascio break down what the data is really telling us about the 2026 political environment. New polling reveals a collapse in trust toward corporate America across every demographic—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—reshaping how voters think about power, accountability, and the economy. At the same time, a surpri...

Pulse Pod 86 breaks down the latest National Voter Trends (NVT) data and why Republicans are entering the midterm cycle with a clear advantage. Brent Buchanan and John Rogers unpack MAHA’s surge to 77% support and its stunning 10-point impact on the generic congressional ballot, the GOP’s trust edge across every major issue, and the growing bipartisan consensus behind conservative policies like vo...

In this fast-paced January Pulse Pod, Brent and Mitch break down the biggest shifts in Cygnal’s latest National Voter Trends poll. From Trump’s +6 image rebound and a more optimistic national mood (+9) to voter reactions on Venezuela, immigration, and the “Karens on ICE” divide, this episode covers the data driving early 2026 momentum. The team also digs into capitalism vs. socialism perceptions,...

Domestic > Foreign: Where Voters Want Trump Focused - Pulse Pod 84 delivers a rapid-fire breakdown of December’s biggest voter shifts: a modest uptick in national mood, Trump’s image rebounding, and Democrats in Congress sliding.  Pollsters Brent and Nick hit the core issue dominating everything— affordability —from rising bills to the housing squeeze and the surge of “aspirational homeowners.”...

🔥 Pulse Pod special just dropped on Brent Buchanan's NEW book!  CEO Brent Buchanan, alongside VP Chris Kratzer, unpacks the insights behind his #1 Amazon bestseller in Elections America’s Emotional Divide: Navigating the Powerful Decision-Making Forces Impacting Politics, Policies & Personal Choices .  Tune in for: ➡️ What inspired Brent to write this and why now? ➡️ The emotional forces shap...

Cygnal Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Alex Tarascio break down Cygnal’s November NVT poll, highlighting how GOP strengths on law, order, and border security stand out with voters. They discuss why the “socialist” label isn’t gaining traction, and how Republicans can win back economic voters by focusing on affordability and tax relief  or risk losses in 2026. The episode covers immigration, tax burde...

A special Pulse Pod episode is here, and it’s one you won’t want to miss! Brent Buchanan dives into his upcoming book America’s Emotional Divide: Navigating the Powerful Decision-Making Forces Impacting Politics, Policies & Personal Choices . This conversation explores why authenticity and truth are what people crave, why sometimes culture often outweighs the economy in shaping decisions, and...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 82 Democrats New Theme Song: "Breaking the Law!" w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Chris Lane - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surprising developments that you won't want to miss. Our Pollsters’...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 81 Women Under 55 vs. Everyone Else: America’s Deepening Divide w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and John Rogers - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surprising developments that you won't want to miss...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 80 69% of Americans reject race-based redistricting; views on the American Dream on life support; and the Fed Under Fire w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Mitch Brown - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 79 - “Karens” Freak Out Over ICE Raids as Hispanic Support for Deportations Surges: NVT Poll w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Nick Weinstein - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surprising developm...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 78 - Record Number Say Nation is on Right Track; Voters Back Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ for Tax Relief and Border Security: Poll w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Alex Tarascio - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 77 - AOC More Popular than Schumer, Trump Image Improving, GOP Decimating Dems on Key Issue Trust: NVT Poll w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and John Rogers - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surpris...

Cygnal's Pulse Pod Ep. 76 - Dems Struggle as Trump Maintains Strong Approval, Even in Light of Tariffs: NVT Poll w/ Pollsters Brent Buchanan and Chris Lane - Join us for the latest episode of Cygnal's Pulse Pod as we dive into the most recent political trends and public opinion shifts that are reshaping America's political landscape. Our data-driven analysis reveals some surprising developments th...