Do voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy? New poll finds a historic shift
For the first time since Inauguration Day, more voters now disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy than approve of it, according to new polling.
In the latest Morning Consult survey, 47% of respondents said they dislike the way Trump has dealt with the economy so far, while 46% said they like it, giving him a net -1 rating.
These results are the continuation of a gradual decline in Trump’s approval rating on what has historically been one of his strongest issues. On Jan. 26, his net economic approval rating stood at +16, which then fell to +5 on Feb. 9 and to +1 on March 9.
The poll — which sampled 2,210 registered voters March 21-23 — found the economy is now tied with abortion, education, and Medicare and Social Security as his lowest-performing issue out of 13 that were asked about. In contrast, immigration and national security are his highest-performing issues, with 53% and 51% of voters approving of his handling of them.
A plurality of voters, 47%, also said the news they’ve heard about the economy in the past week has been mainly negative. Meanwhile, just 22% said what they’ve heard has been largely positive, and 31% said they’ve heard nothing.
Further, the poll revealed that Trump’s tariff policy is out of step with public opinion, potentially playing into voter dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy.
About half of voters, 49%, said they believe imposing tariffs is a top priority for Trump. But just 20% said this should be a top priority for the president.
This 29-point difference marks the largest gap — out of 12 priorities sampled — between what voters in the poll believe is a primary concern and what they believe should be a primary concern.
The poll — which has a margin of error of 2 percentage points — comes after Trump announced wide-ranging tariffs on some of America’s key trading partners.
On Feb. 1, the White House announced the U.S. would levy a 10% tariff on imports from China. This was increased to 20% in March, according to the Tax Foundation.
The Trump administration also announced a 25% tariff on many goods from Mexico and Canada. These are set to go into effect on April 2, following a 30-day postponement, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has also imposed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports and has suggested levying tariffs on goods from the European Union and on countries that purchase oil from Venezuela, according to CNBC.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Do voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy? New poll finds a historic shift."