Over Three Quarters Of Americans Say Trump’s Policies Increased The Cost Of Living In Their Communities: Poll

Over three quarters of Americans believe President Donald Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their own community, according to a new poll.

More than half of Republicans agreed with the premise of the survey, conducted by CNN. Moreover, two-thirds of respondents said the administration’s policies worsened economic conditions in the country.

The poll asked five questions about whether they had a positive or negative impact in the economy. Three quarters of respondents said the war had a negative effect in the economy. Just 8% said it had a positive one and 17% that it didn’t have much of an effect.

About two-thirds said the implementation of higher tariffs on foreign goods had a negative effect, compared to 16% who said it had a positive one and 19% who claimed it didn’t really have an effect.

Less than half of respondents said the increasing use of AI technology, the set of recent changes to tax laws and the performance of the stock market received had a negative impact. However, no more than 25% of respondents said any of the questions has had a positive effect in the economy.

Republicans are now less trusted than Democrats to handle a range of economic issues, including health care costs, helping the middle class and income inequality. However, neither party is trusted by a majority of respondents.

Several polls have shown economic concerns are widespread. The latest Gallup poll, conducted from April 1 to April 15 among U.S. adults, showed that 31% of respondents identified inflation and high prices as the most important financial problem facing their families. Although lower than the 41% peak recorded in 2024, the figure remains among the highest seen in over two decades.

The survey, which captured a broad national sample, highlights how rising costs across essential categories continue to dominate financial anxieties. Energy costs in particular have emerged as a growing worry, with 13% of participants citing them, up by 10 percentage points from last year and the highest level since 2008. Housing costs were mentioned by an equal 13%, while healthcare expenses stood at 8%, broadly in line with trends seen since 2020.

Overall, affordability-related concerns, including inflation, housing, healthcare, transportation, childcare and education costs, far outweighed all other financial issues cited in the survey.

Other economic factors trailed significantly. Taxes were mentioned by 6% of respondents, while 2% pointed to the broader economy, stock market or interest rates. Concerns related to Social Security were cited by just 1%.

Income-related challenges also featured, with 7% of respondents pointing to low wages or lack of money, and 4% citing unemployment or job loss. Meanwhile, 6% flagged general debt as their main issue, and 1% specifically pointed to credit card debt. Concerns around savings were relatively limited, with 3% worried about retirement savings and 2% about overall savings.