Trumps ratings goes into the negative region - As high as 57% disapprove of his economic policies that have pushed up prices which he promised to control - People are happy with his immigration policy
Trump's ratings still negative as his job performance languishes at 43%
US President Trump's ratings slide to a negative 57% as his tariffs boomerang on the people with inflation biting and grocery prises rising thus eroding public confidence in a man they voted to slash prices
Trump’s Second-Term Ratings Slide as Tariffs and Inflation Bite, While Americans Rally Behind Vaccines
By TN Ashok September 7, 2025
The principal culprit: tariffs. Trump’s second presidency was built on the promise that aggressive tariff regimes would refill the Treasury, protect American jobs, and teach trading partners—from China to the European Union—that Washington would no longer tolerate “unfair” practices.
In one sense, the policy has succeeded. Tariffs have generated billions in additional revenue, temporarily bolstering federal coffers. But the costs are being borne by ordinary Americans.
The tariff-inflation trap
A growing body of data shows the White House’s tariff-heavy approach has translated into higher consumer prices across the board. Imported goods have become more expensive, with retailers and manufacturers passing on the costs. The grocery aisle has become emblematic of the policy’s impact: meat, dairy, and fresh produce now routinely cost 10–15% more than they did a year ago, according to Labor Department figures.
Inflation remains the most important economic issue for voters, with 45% of respondents citing it as their top concern. It overshadows other anxieties such as healthcare costs, taxes, or housing affordability. For a president who built his 2024 comeback campaign on the charge that Democrats had let inflation spiral, the reversal is politically damaging.
The tariffs have also dented hiring. Export-oriented manufacturers, squeezed by retaliatory measures from trading partners, have slowed recruitment. Supply chains that once adjusted to Trump’s first-term trade skirmishes have less room to manoeuvre in this second round. The result is a jobs market that has cooled visibly since spring. Economists note that unemployment has ticked upward, with job creation faltering in both manufacturing and logistics.
Trump’s approval on economic management has sunk to 39%—a strikingly low figure given his self-promotion as a dealmaker who could restore prosperity. On trade and tariffs specifically, only 41% approve of his performance. Both measures mark his weakest standing since returning to office in January.
Immigration still a modest strength
The poll offers the president a glimmer of comfort on immigration, the issue that propelled him to prominence in 2016 and that remains central to his political identity. Asked about “border security and immigration,” 47% of respondents approved of his handling, though when the language was sharpened to “deportations and border security,” approval slipped to 43%.
Even here, the approval ceiling reflects division. Trump’s recent deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in response to a crime crackdown has boosted Republican prioritisation of “crime and safety.” Eighteen percent of GOP voters now rank it as their most important concern, up five points from June. But Democrats and independents remain unmoved.
The Kennedy problem
If tariffs and inflation represent Trump’s economic headache, his health secretary represents a political migraine. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., installed at Health and Human Services to appease populist and libertarian currents of the Republican coalition, has pursued a stridently anti-vaccine agenda. He has moved to restrict access to certain shots, prompting a fierce backlash from medical professionals, state governments, and Congress alike.
Here the poll is unequivocal: Americans overwhelmingly support vaccines. Seventy-eight percent of adults say they favour their use to prevent diseases, with 49% expressing strong support. Majorities span all political affiliations—93% of Democrats, 72% of independents, and 67% of Republicans. Only a third of Republicans oppose vaccines, a minority but one vocal enough to create noise disproportionate to its size.
The numbers expose Kennedy’s isolation. They also hint at the political peril for Trump. While Kennedy’s rhetoric might please some libertarian quarters, it risks alienating the broader electorate, particularly suburban independents who swung away from Trump in 2020 but helped restore him in 2024 amid economic discontent.
The danger is amplified by recent events: the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a Covid vaccine with tighter access than before, and Trump’s abrupt firing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director after clashes with Kennedy. Both developments suggest an administration veering toward ideological zeal at the expense of mainstream scientific consensus.
A mood of fury and fatigue
Beyond issue-by-issue ratings, the survey underscores the polarisation of American sentiment. Nearly half of Democrats—49%—say they are “furious” about Trump’s actions. Among Republicans, 27% report being “thrilled,” while another 18% are “happy” and 28% “satisfied.” The middle ground is sparse. Only 8% of independents express positive feelings toward Trump’s presidency, while 56% report negative ones.
Intensity matters in politics, especially with midterm elections just 14 months away. Trump’s coalition appears passionate but narrow, while opposition enthusiasm is intense and growing.
Outsiders versus insiders
The poll also suggests a broader reassessment of what kind of leadership Americans want. Asked whether they prefer an “insider with the experience to get things done” or an “outsider who wants to shake things up,” 58% favoured the insider. Just 42% said they preferred the outsider model that Trump has long embodied.
This represents a shift from earlier in the year, when Americans were more open to outsiders. The public mood, battered by volatility and constant upheaval, appears to be tilting back toward competence and stability. Strikingly, independents now align with Democrats in preferring insiders by six to four. Only Republicans remain wedded to the outsider archetype, with six in ten still favouring disruption.
A presidency at an inflection point
Taken together, the data points sketch a presidency under strain. Trump’s approval is steady but unimpressive, hovering at levels that invite challengers within his own party and energise opposition coalitions. His core claim—that tariffs would enrich America without pain—is running into the brick wall of consumer experience. Higher grocery bills and weaker job prospects are more tangible to voters than Treasury receipts.
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s anti-vaccine crusade has created an avoidable liability. At precisely the moment when Americans crave public health reassurance, the administration appears to be indulging fringe scepticism. The contradiction between broad public support for vaccines and official hostility to them could cost Trump dearly, particularly among independents.
The political calendar only sharpens the stakes. Midterms loom, with control of Congress on the line. Trump’s own history shows how rapidly momentum can shift when economic and cultural grievances align against incumbents.
For now, the numbers are plain. Tariffs may have fattened the Treasury, but they have also inflated the cost of living. Jobs are fewer, unemployment higher. Groceries are dearer, mortgages more burdensome. And vaccines, far from being a wedge issue, remain one of the few points of genuine bipartisan consensus in American life—rendering Kennedy’s campaign against them an act of political self-sabotage.
If Trump cannot reverse these trends, his second term may find itself defined less by triumphant disruption than by a steady erosion of public patience. The poll’s 43% approval is not just a snapshot; it may be the early warning of a presidency losing altitude.
Comments
Post a Comment