Americans think Trump is making the economy worse

According to the latest CNN poll, 59% of Americans say President Donald Trump's policies have worsened the country's economic situation, up from 51% in March and on par with the worst numbers his predecessor Joe Biden saw during his presidency.

The survey found that Americans remain dissatisfied with the nation’s economy and are unenthusiastic about the White House’s sweeping new trade policies. With the impact of the new tariffs still unclear, many said President Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living, with only 12% saying his agenda has helped lower prices.

Overall, 69% of Americans say a recession within the next year is at least likely, including 32% who say it is very likely, CNN reported. Only 34% of Americans say they are optimistic about the economy, with 29% saying they are pessimistic and 37% saying they are fearful.

The widespread discontent with Donald Trump’s economic stewardship marks a new chapter for a president who has received mostly positive reviews for his handling of the economy during his first term. Trump, who pledged during his 2024 campaign to “immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One,” has easily won over voters who have shown concern for the economy.

“Everything I’ve worked for my whole life is quickly disappearing,” said a 59-year-old man from Georgia who is worried about retiring amid the volatile stock market. “It’s probably going to take years to recover what I’ve lost because of what’s going on,” he added.

Still, Republican views of the overall economy have shown increased positivity over the past month, and most Republicans say they expect the tariffs to have a lasting positive impact on the national economy.

55% of Americans say President Trump's actions on tariffs so far this term are “bad policy.”

The poll was conducted from April 17 to 24, with 1,678 respondents. This was after the White House first announced new tariffs that expanded to dozens of countries, and then paused them for many of them. A series of back-and-forth statements continued during the survey about the state of international trade negotiations and the ultimate goal of the tariffs. Fifty-eight percent of Americans said they did not believe Trump had a clear strategy when announcing and implementing the tariffs.

Most people believe that President Trump's tariff policies will have a negative impact on the short-term US economy (72%), America's standing in the world (60%), and their personal finances (59%), while fewer believe that tariffs will help the US on any of these fronts.