Trump’s approval rating slips as Americans worry about the economy

WASHINGTON - US President

Donald Trump

’s approval rating has ticked slightly lower in recent days as more Americans worried about the direction of the US economy amid the tariffs threat he has lobbed at a host of countries, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The six-day poll, which closed on Feb 18, showed 44 per cent of respondents approved of the job Mr Trump is doing as president, down from 45 per cent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Jan 24 to 26.

Mr Trump’s approval rating stood at 47 per cent in a Jan 20 to 21 poll conducted in the hours after the Republican’s return to the White House. 

The share of Americans who disapprove of his presidency has risen more substantially to 51 per cent in the latest poll, compared with 41 per cent right after he took office.

Mr Trump enjoys a relatively high rate of approval on his immigration policy, with 47 per cent of respondents backing his approach that has included promises to

ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants

.

The share was little changed from January.

But the share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53 per cent in the latest poll from 43 per cent in the Jan 24 to 26 poll. Public approval of Mr Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39 per cent from 43 per cent in the prior poll.

A pillar of Mr Trump’s political strength has been public belief that his policies will be good for the economy, and his rating on the economy remains significantly higher than the final readings of his predecessor in office, Democrat Joe Biden, who ended his term with a 34 per cent approval rating on the economy. But Mr Trump’s rating for the economy is well below the 53 per cent he had in Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted in February 2017, the first full month of his first term as US president. 

In the latest poll, only 32 per cent of respondents approved of Mr Trump’s performance on inflation, a potential early sign of disappointment in the Republican’s performance on a core economic issue after several years of rising prices weakened Mr Biden ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Trump defeated Mr Biden’s Vice-President Kamala Harris in the Electoral College and narrowly won the popular vote.

A recent report from the US Labour Department showed that consumer prices rose by the most in nearly one to 1½ years in January, with Americans facing higher costs for a range of goods and services.

Other economic data has shown US households expect inflation to pick up following Mr Trump’s Feb 1 announcements for steep tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada.

While the levies on Mexico and Canada have since been delayed until March, Mr Trump has set March 12 as the start date for other tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, and he has directed his staff to devise global reciprocal tariffs.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll said they opposed new tariffs on imported goods from other countries, while 41 per cent were in favour of them. Increasing tariffs on Chinese goods had higher levels of support, with 49 per cent in favour and 47 per cent against.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 4,145 US adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points in either direction.

REUTERS