American Voters Identify Billionaires and Landlords as National Villains

The polling firm surveyed over 2,000 Americans, asking them to rank various industries and groups on a seven-point scale. Billionaires and corporate landlords emerged as the most reviled, followed by sports gambling platforms, artificial intelligence firms, and cryptocurrency companies. Conversely, respondents expressed positive sentiment toward local institutions, including public libraries, small businesses, and community hospitals, suggesting a sharp divide between local entities and the concentrated power of multinational corporations.

Ryan O'Donnell, executive director of Data for Progress, argues that effective political messaging now requires holding these specific actors accountable. He notes that as artificial intelligence and automation directly encroach on daily life, tech billionaires are increasingly viewed as the primary antagonists in the American political landscape.

This public frustration coincides with a report from the watchdog group Public Citizen, which highlights a massive influx of corporate political spending. Cryptocurrency, AI, and Big Tech firms have poured nearly $300 million into the 2026 midterm cycle alone. Rick Claypool, author of the report, described this trend as a disaster for democracy, warning that unchecked corporate spending threatens to drown out the voices of everyday citizens. The findings arrive amid a broader debate over housing, as President Donald Trump has dismissed bipartisan efforts to curb corporate investment in single-family homes, further fueling concerns that the political system remains unresponsive to the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of Americans.