A new poll has delivered some tough news for Republicans, showing that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s tariffs and trade policies. The survey comes as Trump continues his aggressive trade wars with Canada, Mexico, and China, and just two months into his second term, his approach to trade seems to be causing growing concern.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, released on Monday, highlights that Trump’s handling of tariffs and the economy is one of the least popular aspects of his presidency. In contrast, Trump’s immigration policies are more widely supported, with higher approval ratings for his actions to limit immigration.
The poll found that only 38 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s approach to trade negotiations with other countries. Additionally, just 40 percent approve of his overall handling of the economy. By comparison, half of the people surveyed say they support Trump’s tough immigration policies, which have included mass deportations and cracking down on both legal and illegal immigration.
Even among Republicans, support for Trump’s trade policies has weakened. While most GOP voters still back the president on many issues, around 30 percent of them said they disapprove of his trade tactics. In contrast, only 10 percent of Republicans disapprove of his immigration policies.
Trump has imposed 25 percent tariffs on most imports from Canada and Mexico and raised tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 20 percent. A 25 percent tariff on car imports is set to take effect soon, despite warnings from economists about the negative effects. Trump has also announced plans to impose additional tariffs on other countries that charge U.S. imports.
The president and his supporters argue that these trade measures are intended to strengthen the U.S. job market and boost domestic manufacturing in the long term. However, the ongoing economic policies have contributed to a drop in consumer confidence and a slump in the stock market.
“Our Economy will BOOM, like never before!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on March 14. However, the new poll paints a troubling picture for Republicans, especially as they head into the midterm elections, where they are fighting to maintain a slim majority in the House.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,229 adults from March 20 to 24 and has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
