Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, 53% of US voters said they were worse off financially. A total of 1,913 registered voters took part in the online poll conducted from August 7 to 10 by London-based independent polling firm Focaldata for the Financial Times.
Confidence in the economy weakens
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said the US economy was moving in the wrong direction, while just 25% believed it was heading in the right direction. The share of independent voters who said their finances had worsened under Trump was approximately 57%, compared with about one-quarter of Republicans.
Voters expressed greater confidence in Democrats than Republicans on inflation and the cost of living, as well as employment and the economy. The proportion who disapproved of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living was measured at 64%. That figure rose to approximately 70% among independent voters and stood at about one-third among Republicans.
Approval of Trump’s performance remains at 55%
The poll found that 55% of respondents disapproved of Trump’s overall performance. The net approval rating among Republicans also fell by 8 percentage points from the previous month.
Asked which party they were inclined to vote for in November, 44% of voters chose Democrats and 39% chose Republicans. Previous polls indicated that Democrats were positioned to regain control of the House of Representatives, while also suggesting that securing a majority in the Senate could prove more difficult.
Inflation and wages are key voter concerns
The poll was released as the effects of inflation, high prices and declining consumer confidence continued to weigh on Americans. Inflation was measured at 3.4% in July, while government data showed that real wages fell last month.
White House defends administration
White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the Trump administration was continuing to implement the president’s affordability agenda by lowering drug prices, bringing jobs back to the US and cutting taxes.
Desai also claimed that violent crime had reached a historic low nationwide and that border security was at its highest level in history.
Focaldata said the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
