Americans Are Losing Confidence in Trump’s Economy

Americans are more dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy than at any point measured during his presidency, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. 

The survey found that 57% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s economic performance, while just 36% approve, that being the lowest approval rating on the economy recorded across both of his terms, PBS News reported.

The erosion of confidence on the economy appears to be weighing heavily on Trump’s overall standing. Only 38% of Americans say he is doing a good job as president, also a low point since the end of his first term. 

“This is a major problem for him,” Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, told PBS News, noting that concerns about affordability are increasingly tied to perceptions of presidential leadership.

Rising Prices Drive Frustration

Seven in ten Americans say the cost of living in their area is unaffordable, including nearly half of Republicans and about three-quarters of independents, according to the poll. Amy Walter, editor of The Cook Political Report, said lingering price pressures have damaged public confidence. “The longer this goes on, the harder it is to get those numbers back,” she said.

The poll also suggests a political shift heading into the midterms. Registered voters were more likely to say Democrats would handle the economy better than Republicans, 40% to 35%, a reversal from 2022 when Republicans held a sizable advantage. 

With Republicans controlling the White House and Congress, Miringoff said it has become harder to attribute economic anxiety to the previous administration.

Economic unease extends beyond prices to health care and personal finances, with more than half of Americans expressing concern about being able to afford needed health care next year, particularly lower-income households and younger adults. 

While fewer Americans now believe the country is in a recession and concern about tariffs has eased somewhat, pessimism about the year ahead has increased.

For many voters, the experience feels immediate and personal. “There’s a difference between living and surviving,” said Sherry Kamphaus, an Illinois Republican who voted for Trump but is frustrated by rising food prices. “We’re surviving,” she told PBS News.