A new national poll shows that a majority of Americans hold President Donald Trump responsible for rising prices and the cost of living as the midterm elections approach.
The survey, conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, polled 2,140 potential voters nationwide between September 24 and 28, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. It found that only 17 percent of Americans approve of the president’s handling of higher prices, while just 26 percent approve of his handling of the economy overall. About 65 percent of those polled said the president’s policies are to blame for high prices.
The results differ sharply along party lines. Among Republicans, 67 percent said higher prices are the result of factors outside the president’s control. That compares with a 2022 version of the same poll, which found that roughly 87 percent of Democrats said high prices were beyond President Joe Biden’s control, while 44 percent of the broader public at the time blamed Biden’s policies for the problem.
The poll found that 69 percent of the public, including 52 percent of Republicans, say Trump’s handling of the cost of living has turned out worse than they expected.
“More than half of adults say the country as a whole, the national economy, and their local economy are worse off since Trump was reelected in 2025,” the poll noted. “Forty-six percent say they and their families are worse off since the start of Trump’s second administration. Most Americans (73 percent) say the country is heading in the wrong direction, including 92 percent of Democrats and 47 percent of Republicans.”
Trade, Iran and Immigration
The president also received low marks on trade and foreign policy. The poll found that 68 percent of respondents disapprove of his trade negotiations with other countries, and 64 percent said his tariff policy went too far.
Immigration was a relative bright spot for Trump, with 39 percent approval. Still, the poll found that 48 percent say his handling of immigration has gone worse than they expected, while 23 percent say it has gone better.
On Iran, 71 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the conflict, and 69 percent said they do not consider the war worth fighting.
Trump’s overall approval ratings heading into the midterms have ranged from a high of 39 percent to a low of 29 percent, depending on the poll. Fox News has reported that Republican performance in the upcoming midterms is likely to hinge on several factors, particularly inflation and voter enthusiasm within the party’s base.
