WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Donald J. Trump addresses members of Congress and the nation during the 2026 State of the Union address, new polling conducted by The Harris Poll for the National Mining Association (NMA) finds Americans firmly behind key policy actions to support domestic mining.
“The administration has moved swiftly to break the chokehold that China has on our supply chains and to utilize the strength of our robust domestic resources to meet the mounting energy demands that are now our reality,” said Rich Nolan, NMA President and CEO. “This polling shows American support for domestic mining has never been higher and that there is clear recognition that the status quo is not sustainable. Americans want to build our economic, energy and national security on the foundation of a strong domestic mining industry.”
Key findings from the polling, which was conducted Feb. 19-23, 2026, among 2,072 adults:
- More than 4 in 5 Americans (83 percent) believe increasing domestic minerals mining is important to U.S. economic and national security; just 8 percent disagree.
- 57 percent of Americans support keeping coal plants open longer to meet growing energy demands and keep costs lower; just 20 percent oppose.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the NMA from February 19-23, 2026, among 2,072 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95 percent confidence level.
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