One of President Donald Trump’s strongest issues historically is now dragging his popularity down, new polling shows.
Americans are as bearish as ever on Trump’s handling of the economy, which is now experiencing spiking gas prices in addition to grocery costs that remain as high as they were when the issue of affordability elevated him back to the White House in 2024.
The CNN poll is not the only one spelling trouble for Trump.
A recent NBC News survey found that 48 percent of Americans named inflation and affordability as the nation’s most pressing issue, far ahead of any other concern. NBC also found that 62 percent of voters disapprove of his handling of inflation and the cost of living.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey reported only 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s economic policies—the worst rating of either of his presidencies, and lower than any recorded for former President Joe Biden.
Trump’s unpopular war in Iran has intensified economic anxieties, polling shows. An average gallon of gas passed $4 this week and is expected to rise further.
CNN’s poll found that 63 percent of Americans report experiencing at least some financial hardship at the pump, with an additional 15 percent describing the impact as severe.
Nearly half of CNN’s respondents say they have cut back on driving because of rising fuel costs.
