Most Americans dismayed by Trump’s handling of economy, tariffs: Poll

In what could fuel a concern in the US's Republican camp ahead of the mid-term polls later this year, a recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll has revealed that a large section of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling key issues such as prices, jobs, tariffs and foreign relations. Overall, he received an approval rate of only 39 per cent, while 60 per cent disapproved of his work as the president.

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The poll, which sampled more than 2,500 adults across the US, painted a picture of a deeply divided and dissatisfied public.

Trump's approval rate falters over inflation, tariffs, foreign policy

Held between February 12 and 17, three days before the US Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s global tariffs, the poll showed that more than six out of 10 respondents (64) disliked how he is handling tariffs on imported goods. Sixty-two per cent disapproved of his administration's foreign policy, while 65 per cent was not satisfied with his handling of the inflation problem.

The approval rate for Trump in these three cases was between 32 and 35 per cent.

Immigration, economy management

According to the report, 58 per cent of respondents opposed the current handling of immigration, while 57 per cent felt the overall economy could be managed more effectively. Notably, Trump’s rating on immigration fell 10 percentage points compared to the February 2025 poll. His approval rate in the latest poll in the field of immigration and management of the economy was between 40 and 41 per cent.

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What would be disappointing with the Trump camp is that he did not secure a majority approval in any of the six issues that the polling covered. His best rating came on the question of handling the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border, but even then, he did not receive the approval of the majority. While 47 per cent backed him, 50 per cent did not.

Trump’s overall disapproval rating stood at 60 per cent, which is the highest numerical disapproval of the GOP leader's second term and matches his disapproval rating when he left office after his first term ended in January 2021.

Trump's low doesn't mean Democrats' high

However, despite the low ratings that Trump received, what would make his party hopeful ahead of the midterms is that the Opposition Democrats are not doing any better as an alternative.

Despite broader concerns, 38 per cent of Americans said they trust Trump to manage immigration, compared to 34 per cent who trust the Democrats in Congress.

However, the report also showed that most Americans are unhappy with both Republicans and Democrats. Public opinion was closely split on who would best tackle the nation’s most pressing issues, with 33 per cent backing Trump, 31 per cent favouring the Democrats, and another 31 per cent opting for “neither”.

Last year, Trump led the Democrats by a seven-point margin on this matter.

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State of the economy

Nearly half of Americans (48 per cent) are of the few that the economy has turned worse since Trump became president, which is down from 52 per cent who said the same in October last year. The number of people who said the economy got better went up only slightly over the same period — from 27 per cent to 29 per cent.

Just over two out of 10 (22 per cent) say they are financially better-off now than when Trump took office for the second time, up from 18 per cent in October. While this rating is higher than what Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had enjoyed throughout his single-term presidency (2021-25), most Americans feel their financial condition is either "about the same" (44 per cent) or "not as well off" (33 per cent).

Trump's fitness, integrity also questioned

The survey also cast doubt on Trump’s fitness for office, with more than half (56 per cent) of respondents saying he lacks the mental sharpness required to serve as president. A little more than half (51 per cent) doubted his physical health. Fifty-one per cent or just about a majority, however, said he is a strong leader.

Trust emerged as another significant issue in the survey, with seven in 10 Americans saying Trump is neither honest nor trustworthy. A higher number of respondents (62 per cent) also believed he is using the presidency for personal gain, and a majority (65 per cent) said he has exceeded his constitutional authority. A majority (56 per cent) also feel the Trump administration has not been transparent in releasing the sensitive Jeffrey Epstein files.

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Disapproval for Trump was strongest among Democrats and independents, while Republicans were split. MAGA-aligned voters mostly approved of Trump’s actions, but non-MAGA Republicans were more critical, particularly on inflation and foreign policy, the survey found.

Fifty-six per cent of Americans also feel that the Trump administration is not committed to protecting Americans’ rights and freedoms, the findings claimed.