It’s been a year since President Donald Trump was sworn into office again. He was elected largely because inflation was high and economic growth low under President Joe Biden. However, the latest Wall Street Journal poll says Americans believe now Trump owns the economy–and they aren’t happy about his handling of it.
By The Numbers:
More Americans said they believe the economy is weak (57%) than think it’s strong (42%). Nearly half (49%) said the economy has gotten worse, compared to just 35% who say it’s gotten strong and 15% who said it has stayed the same.
Border security was the only issue Trump received positive marks on (53% approve). He was underwater for his job on inflation (-17), foreign policy (-11), the economy (-10), tariffs (-10), and immigration (-4). Most alarming, only 42% said Trump has the right priorities; only 43% said he cares about people like you, and just 38% approve of his handling of health care.
Half the respondents believe Trump has gone too far on deporting illegal immigrants (51%), threatening action against foreign governments (53%), deploying ICE (54%) and expanding pardon power (56%).
The Bottom Line: Despite Trump and Republicans in trouble on key issues, Democrats are in a worse position. Americans still trust Republicans more on the economy and immigration. The GOP has a six-point margin on the economy and 28-points on immigration. This is a big problem for Democrats in the Midterms. For while the party’s base pushes to “abolish ICE,” its leaders likely understand that won’t help flip GOP seats.
