Voters Blame Trump as Approval Drops Amid Economic Struggles
Widespread frustration with the economy, rising prices, and uncertainty about Trump administration policies are fueling unusually high disapproval among groups that have traditionally backed the president.
These are the six major findings from the newest Fox News national poll:
— Negative views of the economy are climbing. A full 76% of voters rate economic conditions negatively. That’s an increase from 67% in July and higher than the 70% who felt the same at the end of former President Biden’s term.
— Most voters—across the board and including Republicans—say their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare, and housing have risen this year.
— Voters largely fault the president. Roughly twice as many believe President Donald Trump, rather than Biden, is responsible for the current economy. Three times as many say Trump’s economic policies have harmed them (the same criticism voters directed at Biden last year). Trump’s approval on the economy has reached a new low, and his overall job disapproval has climbed to record levels even among core supporters.
— Following the government shutdown, favorability ratings for both major parties have fallen. And around six in ten voters believe the president and lawmakers from both parties don’t care about people like them.
— Republicans are viewed as stronger on border security, immigration, and crime, while Democrats are trusted more on affordability, wages, healthcare, and climate issues.
— Opinions remain split on whether Trump’s peace agreements make the world safer and on the administration’s approach to suspected drug traffickers.
Below is a closer look at the data:
Trump is now seeing his highest disapproval ratings ever among men, White voters, and voters without a college degree.
Republican approval of the president has slipped from 92% in March to 86% now.
Among all voters, Trump stands at 41% approval and 58% disapproval. Only once—back in October 2017—were his ratings worse (38-57%). Just two months earlier, he was at 46-54%.
At the same point in Biden’s presidency, his numbers were slightly better: 44% approval, 54% disapproval in November 2021.
On personal finances, 40% say they’re in excellent or good shape, while 60% say their situation is only fair or poor—roughly unchanged from last year. Negative assessments are especially high (around 70%) among non-college voters, Hispanics, Black voters, independents, and adults under 45. Among households earning under $50K, 79% give their finances a negative rating.
Views of the broader economy are similarly bleak. Most voters classify national conditions as only fair or poor (76%), and just 18% believe inflation is fully or mostly under control.
Compared with last year, large majorities report cost increases for utilities (78%), healthcare (67%), housing (66%), and gasoline (54%). Grocery prices are a major concern: 85% say they’ve risen this year, with 60% saying they’ve gone up “a lot.” Across every cost category except gas, majorities of Republicans agree with majorities of Democrats and independents that prices have increased.
At the end of Biden’s term, voters said by a 30-point margin that his policies hurt rather than helped their families—driven largely by three-quarters of Republicans who felt harmed. The new poll shows almost identical results for Trump: by a 31-point margin, voters say his economic policies have hurt rather than helped them, propelled by three-quarters of Democrats who feel harmed. Back in December 2018, during Trump’s first term, only 21% said they were hurt by his policies—just one third of Democrats included.
By nearly a 2-to-1 margin, voters assign more responsibility for the current economy to Trump than to Biden (62% vs. 32%). Notably, 42% of Republicans blame Trump, while 53% say Biden is responsible. Among independents, 62% blame Trump and 29% blame Biden.
More voters believe Republicans have the stronger approach on border security, illegal immigration, crime, and the federal deficit. Meanwhile, Democrats lead on climate change, healthcare costs, wage increases, and affordability. The two parties are essentially tied on job creation.
Obamacare continues to be viewed positively overall, with 54% holding a favorable opinion—largely due to nearly 9 in 10 Democrats supporting it. Voters also feel Democrats have the better strategy for reducing healthcare costs, and Trump earns his lowest approval rating on healthcare.
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, sums it up this way: “The situation isn’t complicated. People are struggling to afford necessities and blaming those in charge. What’s interesting is watching Democrats gain politically from a problem they arguably caused — and that crushed them in 2024. But that’s politics.”
Government Shutdown and Political Favorability
Many households felt the impact of the government shutdown, with 10% reporting severe hardship and 35% moderate hardship. But 54% said it caused no hardship at all.
The shutdown damaged all political actors: about two-thirds disapprove of how Trump (62%), Congressional Republicans (63%), and Congressional Democrats (64%) handled it.
Both major parties are now tied at a record low favorability rating of 39%, down from the low-to-mid 40s earlier this year. Trump’s favorability is at 40%, down from 43% in September and 50% in January.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has seen the steepest decline: only 22% view him favorably, while 54% view him unfavorably—a net -32 rating. Democrats’ positive views of Schumer fell from 51% in January to 38% now.
Other congressional leaders saw smaller dips: Hakeem Jeffries (from -2 to -10), House Speaker Mike Johnson (from -9 to -15), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (from -10 to -12). Many voters say they can’t rate Thune (54%), Jeffries (38%), or Johnson (31%).
Across the board, voters feel neglected: about six in ten believe Congressional Democrats (59%), Congressional Republicans (65%), and Trump (63%) don’t care about people like them.
Trump’s foreign policy ratings remain negative: 43% approve, 55% disapprove. Yet voters are evenly split on whether his peace agreements make the world safer (37% safer vs. 37% less safe), and 25% say they make little difference.
Opinions on using deadly U.S. military force against suspected drug-trafficking boats leaving Venezuela are close: 49% in favor, 47% opposed.
Trump’s strongest area is border security, where 53% approve. Nearly half (46%) approve of his immigration handling. His weakest numbers are on the economy (38% approval), tariffs (35%), and healthcare (34%).
