Poll: Voters Sour on Congress, Trump Amid Economic Worries
Frustration with Washington is climbing as voters continue to worry about rising costs and the state of the economy. Confidence in the nation’s economic outlook remains muted, and dissatisfaction with the federal government has reached new levels.
A new survey from Fox News finds a record 70% of voters disapprove of how congressional Democrats are handling their jobs. That figure has risen six points since December, while only 29% approve.
Views of congressional Republicans have stayed relatively stable. About 36% of voters approve of their performance, while 64% disapprove.
The divide largely reflects stronger unity among Republicans. Roughly 77% of Republicans say they approve of their party’s leadership in Congress, compared to 62% of Democrats who approve of their own leaders.
Negative feelings toward Washington extend beyond Congress. Just 8% of Americans say they are “enthusiastic” about how the federal government is operating, and another 26% describe themselves as “satisfied.” Meanwhile, 33% say they are “dissatisfied,” and 32% say they are outright “angry.”
Those overall attitudes resemble public sentiment at the one-year mark of the presidency of Joe Biden in February 2022, but two key differences stand out. The share of voters who are enthusiastic (8%) and those who are angry (32%) have both reached record highs. In addition, the partisan divide has flipped. In 2022, Republicans were more than four times as likely as Democrats to say they were angry with Washington. Now Democrats are more than five times as likely as Republicans to feel that way.
“Political science research indicates anger is a more powerful mobilizing force than hope or fear,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducted the survey alongside Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “The anger on the left may be one reason Democrats have been doing so well in recent special elections and early 2026 primaries.”
Much of the public’s frustration appears tied to the economy. Only 30% of voters say economic conditions are good or excellent, down slightly from 32% earlier in the presidency of Donald Trump in July 2025. More than twice as many say the economy is only fair or poor.
Many Americans also say everyday expenses continue to rise. Compared with a year ago, 81% say grocery prices have increased, including 56% who say they have gone up significantly. Large shares also report higher costs for utilities (79%), healthcare (71%), housing (65%) and gasoline (51%).
Although 22% say inflation is completely or mostly under control — the highest share since 2022 — most voters say it is still not under control.
More than half of voters, 57%, rate their personal financial situation negatively. Those concerns are particularly common among independents (61%), Black voters (66%), voters under age 30 (66%), women (66%) and households earning less than $50,000 a year (74%).
Opportunities for well-paying jobs also appear limited to many respondents. Just 9% say there are many jobs in their community that offer decent wages, while 15% say there are almost none.
Given those pressures, voters overwhelmingly identify the cost of living as the country’s most pressing economic issue. Half of respondents, 50%, name it as their top concern, far ahead of government spending (18%), jobs (10%), income inequality (9%), tariffs (8%) and taxes (4%).
The poll also measured views of Trump’s performance as president. Currently, 43% approve of the job he is doing, while 57% disapprove. Those numbers are nearly unchanged from January and December, when approval stood at 44%.
Six in ten voters say Trump is focusing on the wrong issues. For comparison, 54% said Biden was focused on the wrong priorities in November 2021.
Democrats are nearly unanimous in their dissatisfaction with Trump: 95% disapprove of his performance, and 94% say he is focused on the wrong issues. Republicans remain largely supportive, though not universally so. About 87% approve of the president’s performance, and 83% say he is focused on the right priorities.
Within the Republican Party, support varies depending on identification with the MAGA movement. Among Republicans who identify with MAGA, 98% approve of Trump’s performance, compared with 63% among non-MAGA Republicans. A similar divide appears on whether he is focused on the right issues, with 95% of MAGA Republicans agreeing versus 57% of those who do not identify with the movement.
Most independents are critical of the president’s performance. About 72% disapprove of the job he is doing, and 78% say he is focused on the wrong issues.
Border security remains Trump’s only issue with majority approval, with 52% approving and 48% disapproving.
On other issues, his ratings are significantly lower. Voters disapprove of his handling of the cost of living by a 35-point margin (32% approve, 67% disapprove), tariffs by 27 points, the economy and healthcare by 23 points each, foreign policy by 20 points, taxes by 19 points, jobs by 13 points and immigration by 6 points. Even among Republicans, the cost of living stands out as a weak spot, with 33% expressing disapproval.
Tariffs are another area of concern for voters. About 63% disapprove of Trump’s approach to tariffs, and 56% oppose tariffs overall. The biggest concerns cited include higher prices for consumers, the potential for a trade war and reduced product availability.
Supporters of tariffs, however, point to several potential benefits, including preventing unfair trade practices by other countries, protecting U.S. jobs, generating government revenue and reducing the trade deficit.
Following a Feb. 20 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that limited the administration’s authority to impose tariffs, 62% of voters say Trump is being treated fairly by the court. That view is shared by majorities of Democrats (76%) and independents (58%), along with half of Republicans (50%).
Still, the Supreme Court’s own ratings have slipped. About 57% of voters now disapprove of the court’s performance, a seven-point increase since last summer. Much of that shift comes from Republicans, whose disapproval has nearly doubled — rising from 20% in 2025 to 39% today.
