American voters are increasingly skeptical of the current administration's economic course. According to a fresh poll conducted among registered voters, more than half of respondents (53%) said their financial situation has worsened since Donald Trump returned to the White House. These figures come from a large-scale study that covered 1,913 people between August 7 and 10, with a margin of error of 2.9%.
Growing Discontent and Falling Approval Ratings
What is especially telling is that dissatisfaction is being recorded even within the Republican base itself. Nearly 57% of independent voters noted a deterioration in their financial situation, and even among Republicans, about 25% of respondents agreed. The overall disapproval rating for the president's performance reached 55%, with nearly 20% of Republicans also expressing dissatisfaction. Over the course of a month, the approval rating within his own party fell by 8 percentage points — a troubling signal for the White House.
Inflation — the Main Stumbling Block
The sharpest criticism concerns pricing policy. 64% of voters disapprove of Trump's actions in fighting inflation and the rising cost of living, and among independents that figure reaches nearly 70%. The situation is compounded by macroeconomic data: inflation in July stood at 3.4%, higher than the level at the end of Joe Biden's term. The consumer sentiment index has fallen to near a record low, and real earnings have declined over the past month.
Two-thirds of respondents (67%) believe the economy is heading in the wrong direction, and only one in four holds the opposite view. Democrats lead Republicans on key issues — 44% versus 39% — especially regarding inflation and employment.
In response to criticism, White House representative Kush Desai stated that the administration is consistently pursuing a course to improve affordability: lowering drug prices, bringing jobs back to the U.S., and cutting taxes, while also pointing to a historic decline in violent crime.
Fresh inflation data, which will be released before the November midterm elections, will be a key test for the administration. The question is whether the affordability of goods and services can shift voter sentiment, or whether disappointment in economic policy will become the decisive factor in the elections.
My analysis: these figures are not just statistics, but a marker of a deep shift in the perception of economic policy. For markets, this is a signal of a possible change in fiscal course after the elections, which could affect the dollar and Treasury yields. Traders should closely watch the November data — it could become a catalyst for volatility.