Americans are more dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy than ever, poll shows

Americans give President Donald Trump his worst approval ratings ever for his handling of the economy, as they also express concerns about the cost of living, healthcare prices, and personal finances, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds . Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, once viewed as one of the president’s strengths. Thirty-six percent say the president is doing a good job, the lowest this poll has found across both of his terms in office. Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Thirty-six percent say the president is doing a good job, the lowest this poll has found across both of his terms in office. Graphic by Steff Staples/PBS News. Sagging support for Trump on the economy is likely a major factor dragging down his overall approval rating - 38% of Americans think Trump is doing a good job as president, the lowest percentage since the end of his first term. “This is a major problem for him,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. “When affordability is so front and center in people’s minds, that’s going to be laid at the doorstep of a chief executive.” Seven in 10 Americans say the cost of living in their area is unaffordable, including nearly half of Republicans and three-quarters of independents, according to the latest poll. Three in 10 Americans say the cost of living is affordable, falling 25 percentage points since June. “The longer this goes on, the harder it is to get those numbers back,” said Amy Walter, editor of The Cook Political Report. “It becomes sort of a self-fulfilling situation. People don’t feel confident in you, and they think prices just continue to go up.” Public frustration with the economy also plagued Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, during his presidency. When inflation began to peak in early 2022, Biden’s approval on the economy also dipped to 36% before improving slightly by the end of his term. Trump capitalized on voters’ economic dissatisfaction during the 2024 presidential election to win back the Oval Office. Now, those same feelings could be potentially perilous for Republicans in next year’s midterm elections. Registered voters were more likely to say the Democratic party would do a better job compared to the Republican party, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Graphic by Steff Staples/PBS News. On the economy, registered voters were more likely to say the Democratic party would do a better job compared to the Republican party, 40% to 35%. Independent voters gave Democrats an 11-point edge in this poll (though the margin of error for that group was 6.2). It’s a dramatic reversal from September 2022, months before the last midterm elections, when Republicans held a 15-point advantage on the economy with voters overall and a 23-point advantage with independents. Since the Republican Party now controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, “it’s tough to point a finger...

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