WASHINGTON — A new national survey finds Americans deeply dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s handling of prices and the broader economy, with a majority blaming his policies for persistently high costs ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Only 17% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance on the cost of living, and 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall — a new low in polling conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 65% say Trump’s policies are more responsible for elevated prices than factors beyond his control.
The figures arrive as Republicans try to hold Congress and as Trump campaigns aggressively to boost turnout. Roughly seven in 10 Americans say his handling of living costs has been worse than they expected, including about half of Republicans. Overall job approval sits near three in 10, and about six in 10 say the country is worse off than when his second term began.
Concern about everyday expenses has intensified. About half of adults now say they are extremely or very worried about filling their gas tanks, up from 39% in July, and a similar share report high concern about affording food. Respondents interviewed for the poll described shrinking disposable income and grocery bills that keep climbing even when paychecks do not.
Trump’s economic approval has fallen 14 percentage points since March 2025, shortly after he returned to office. That trajectory contrasts with his first term, when the economy was often a relative strength. During the 2024 campaign he attacked high inflation under President Joe Biden and promised relief; many voters now say that relief has not arrived.
About six in 10 Republicans disapprove of his handling of living costs, up from roughly half in April. Even so, 67% of Republicans still say outside factors are more to blame than Trump’s own decisions. Support remains stronger on border security, where about half of Americans approve of his performance.
Public views of related policies are also sour. Only about three in 10 approve of his trade negotiations, down from about four in 10 in March, and 64% say he has gone too far with new tariffs. Sixty-nine percent say the war with Iran has not been worth fighting, and only 28% approve of his handling of that conflict.
The poll underscores a political risk familiar from past midterms: when voters feel squeezed at the pump and the checkout line, they often punish the party in power. Unlike late 2022, when more Americans blamed forces outside Biden’s control, a solid majority now holds Trump responsible for high prices — a shift that could shape races for the House and Senate in the weeks ahead.
Los Angeles Times / AP: Americans blame Trump for high prices, poll finds
Image: Fruit section of a U.S. grocery store. Photo by Alabama Extension via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
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