Tariff troubles: Voters say Donald Trump’s gone too far on trade as approval rating takes a serious hit

After months of economic chaos in the United States, triggered by steep tariffs, trade wars, and rising prices, more and more Americans are showing resistance against US president Donald Trump as his approval rating is slipping fast, especially when it comes to the economy, according to a report.

A Rocky Return to Office

Trump’s return to office has been rocky, since March, approval for his job performance has steadily dropped, reported Yahoo News. In March, 50% of Americans disapproved of the job he was doing, compared to 44% who approved, as per Yahoo News/YouGov poll. By April, that gap widened to 11 points. Now, in late May, only 41% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his role, while 54% disapprove, as per Yahoo News. It’s one of the lowest ratings he’s seen since the end of his first term, as per the report.

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Economic Challenges Sparks Public Frustration

The economic fallout appears to be a major reason. Over the past few months, Trump has made headlines with tariffs as high as 145%, sparking retaliatory moves from global allies, confusing markets, and stressing small businesses, and for Americans, it’s meant rising prices on the things they buy, according to Yahoo News.

Poll Numbers Show Deepening Disapproval of Donald Trump

Those frustrations are showing up clearly in the numbers as Trump is now 19 points underwater on the economy overall, just 37% approve of how he’s handling it, while 56% disapprove, as per the poll. On trade and tariffs specifically, only 35% approve, while 57% disapprove, a 22-point gap, reported Yahoo News. On the cost of living aspect, just 32% approve of how Trump is managing it, while 59% disapprove, putting him 27 points underwater on what matters most to many households, according to the report.

To compare, back in mid-2020, during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Trump’s economic approval averaged 49%, with 45% disapproving, reported Yahoo News.

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Tariffs Emerge as Major Pain Point

Americans are feeling the impact of his trade moves as 57% say Trump has “gone too far” in raising tariffs on imported goods, while 51% say he’s gone too far in cutting the federal workforce, 49% feel he's gone too far in arresting and deporting immigrants, as per the report. The poll also found that 45% think he has gone too far in investigating his political opponents, according to the report. While, only 4% of Americans say Trump’s approach to raising tariffs has “not gone far enough,” reported Yahoo News.

That sentiment is shifting how people see the economy, in April, 35% of independents rated the economy as “poor,” as per the poll. Now, that number has jumped to 45% and while, overall, 72% of Americans now say the economy is either “fair” or “poor”, just 25% call it “excellent” or “good”, reported Yahoo News.

FAQs

How bad is Trump’s approval rating right now?
Only 41% approve of his performance, while 54% disapprove, his worst numbers since late in his first term.

Is the economy the biggest issue for voters right now?
Yes, most of the frustration is focused on rising costs, trade policy, and the general economic outlook, as per the survey.