A poll public opinion about Trump shows cost-of-living worries now lead the economic list for voters, while Donald Trump’s approval on inflation has fallen to 22%. The survey also finds 74% of voters rate the economy negatively, a warning sign just weeks before Election Day.
Six in 10 voters say the cost of living is their top economic worry, and 55% say inflation is not at all under control. That same survey gives Trump 36% overall job approval, but only 22% on inflation, a split that leaves his strongest number tied to border security at 50% approve and 50% disapprove.
Economy ratings stay weak
Voters do not separate inflation from the rest of the economy. Disapproval of Trump’s handling of the economy stands at 70%, while disapproval of his handling of tariffs is 69%, foreign policy 64% and immigration 56%. Fifty-three percent expect the economy to worsen next year, and 66% say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the country.
Only 18% say their family is better off than two years ago. Among independents, 52% say they are worse off and 70% think the economy will get worse. Those numbers point to a public mood built around higher prices, not a single issue tied only to one officeholder.
Republicans and Trump
The survey puts Republicans and Trump under pressure in House districts. Fifty-four percent of voters say they would back the Democratic candidate if the election were held today, compared with 45% for the Republican candidate. Among those certain to vote, the Democratic candidate leads 52% to 46%.
Trump still draws 76% approval among Republicans, but that support sits beside a broader warning in the same poll: 7 in 10 voters say they will vote to send a message to Trump. That makes inflation less a narrow rating problem than a test of whether his party can hold together voters who are already dissatisfied with prices and the economy.
Election Day and
The strongest reading for Trump is border security, where opinion is split evenly. The weakest is inflation, and the gap between the two shows where voters are separating one issue from the rest. Joe Biden had 29% approval on inflation four years ago before the 2022 midterms, a comparison that places Trump’s 22% in the same range of midterm weakness tied to economic frustration.
The open question is not whether prices matter; the poll says they do. What remains for Republicans is whether voters who are unhappy with the economy keep that view when they cast ballots on Election Day and beyond.
