Americans give a verdict on Trump’s tariff and economic policies; his ratings are at…
US President Donald Trump saw approval ratings hit a new low this month amid an escalating trade war and continued recession fears. A growing percentage of the population has turned against the Republican leader within his first 100 days in office — with a sharp turn toward pessimism about the stock market. This is the first time that Trump has seen his rating at net negative on the economy.
According to a CNBC survey released over the weekend, 49% of Americans believe that the economy will get worse over the next year. This includes some loss of support from Republicans in key areas such as tariffs and inflation as well as notable deterioration among independents. The latest edition of the CNBC All-America Economic Survey indicated that Trump had so far managed to convince only existing supporters that his economic policies would be good for the country in the long run.
The numbers echo trends highlighted by several pollsters since Trump sent then stock market roiling with his sweeping tariff announcements and triggered a global trade war in early April. The CNBC poll was conducted between April 9 and 13 — following a week of global uncertainty over the tariffs.
A whopping 49% of people now believe that the economy will get worse over the next year — more so than at any time since 2023. 76% of Republicans see the economy improving while 83% of Democrats and 54% of independents see it getting worse. Even among those who believe in the policies implemented by Trump, 27% opined that it would take a year or longer to elicit positive results.
Trump also recorded 44% approval for his handling of the presidency while 51% of the 1000 Americans who were surveyed said that they disapproved. The number is marginally better than the final reading taken by CNBC when Trump left office in 2020. Blue collar workers — a key component of his election victory — remained positive about his handling of the economy but saw their disapproval shoot up by 14 points when compared against the average for his first term.
The President’s worst numbers however come on his handling of inflation — with the public disapproving by a 37% to 60% margin. Around 57% of Americans believe that the country is hovering on the brink (or already in the midst) of a recession, up from just 40% in March 2024. The public also disapproved of his handling of federal government spending and foreign policy. Trump saw his best numbers from immigration — with his handling of the southern border and his deportation of undocumented immigrants leading the list.