The Economy: The Dominant Driver
Ask Americans what is pulling down their view of the president, and economics comes back as the leading answer in survey after survey. The economy remains the single most pressing issue for Americans, with 29% identifying it as their top concern, ahead of threats to democracy at 24%, health care at 12%, and crime and safety at 10%.
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that Trump’s approval rating for handling the economy has fallen to a new career low of 31%, reflecting growing pessimism among Americans over the issue they consistently describe as the most important. Roughly two-thirds of Americans said Trump’s policies had worsened economic conditions, up 10 points since January. Just 27% approved of Trump’s handling of inflation, down from 44% one year ago.
The roughly 40% rise in gas prices due to the conflict with Iran has compounded Americans’ economic frustrations. Overall, 63% say higher costs at the pump have caused at least some financial hardship in their household, including 15% who say the hardship is severe.
For a related look at how economic anxiety is reshaping the political map ahead of November’s midterms, Trump’s 2026 foreign policy and its domestic consequences offers detailed context on how tariffs and inflation are playing out at the state level.
More Americans said their personal financial situation is worse today than it was a year ago (40%), and fewer said their economic situation is better (19%), than at any previous Decision Desk survey point during Trump’s second term.
A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,028 registered voters conducted between April 9 and April 13 put Trump’s overall approval at 38%, with 55% disapproving – matching an all-time second-term low for Trump in Quinnipiac polling first recorded in March 2026. Gas prices have become a particularly sharp point of friction, with a large majority of respondents blaming Trump at least somewhat for the recent rise in prices, and that figure climbing even higher among independent voters.