Americans Sour On Trump’s Handling Of Economy, Poll Finds

Americans have flipped their views on President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy since the end of his first term, according to new polling, amid a brewing trade war with America’s neighbors and stock market decline.

When asked about how Trump is handling the economy, 56 percent of adults said they disapprove and 44 said they approved, according to a CNN/SSRS poll released Wednesday morning.

Throughout his first term, Americans had generally held a positive view of the president’s handling of the economy. Trump’s polling on the economy is almost a complete reversal from the end of Trump’s first term, where 53 percent of respondents said they approved of his approach.

His 56 percent disapproval rating on the economy is the highest mark measured in a CNN poll since the beginning of his first term.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing internal criticism for the advice he’s giving Trump on the economy, POLITICO reported Tuesday. Trump has enacted tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China but has repeatedly changed their size and scope.

The Dow slid nearly 500 points Tuesday after Trump announced and then walked back new tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, amid ongoing economic uncertainty — after closing 890 points down Monday.

There was a bright spot to the week’s economic issues Wednesday morning, when inflation cooled slightly in February, at 2.8 percent, below expectations for most economists.

The poll released Thursday, which was conducted March 6-9, would not have included the most recent fluctuations in the stock market. The poll surveyed 1,206 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.