President Donald Trump is registering the worst numbers of economic approval of his presidential career amid a broad discontent about his management of rates, inflation and government spending, according to the latest economic survey of CNBC All-america.
The survey found that the impulse in the economic optimism that accompanied Trump’s re -election has disappeared, and more Americans now believe that the economy will make the economy worse that at any time since 2023 and with a strong turn towards pessimism over the stock market.
The 1,000 Americans survey throughout the country showed a 44% approval of Trump’s handling of the presidency and 51% disapproval, slightly better than the final reading of CNBC when the president left the position in 2020. However, in the economy, the economy, the survey showed an approval of 43% and 55% of disapproval, the first time in any survey of CNB Net negative in the economy.
Trump’s republican base remains solidly behind him, but the Democrats, with -90 net economic approval, are 30 more negative points than their average during their first mandate, and the independents are 23 more negative points. Blue neck workers, who were key to the president’s electoral victory, remain positive in the management of the economy by Trump, but their disapproval numbers have shot in 14 points compared to their average for their first mandate.
“Donald Trump was specifically re -elected to improve the economy, and so far, people do not like what they are seeing,” said Jay Campbell, partner of Hart Associates, the democratic polls of the survey.
The survey was conducted from April 9 to 13 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
The results show that Trump has so far been able to convince only its basis for its economic policies to be good for the country over time: 49% of the public believe that the economy will make the economy worse during the next year, the most pessimistic general result since 2023. That figure includes 76% of the Republicans who see the improvement of the economy. But 83% of the Democrats and 54% of the independents see that the economy worsens. Among those who believe that president’s policies will have a positive impact, 27% say it will have a year or more. However, 40% of those who are negative about president’s policies say they are hurting the economy now.
“We are in a turbulent and maelstrom of change when it comes to how people feel about what will happen,” said Micah Roberts, managing partner with public opinion strategies, Republican pollsters for the survey. “The data … suggest more than ever that is the negative partisan reaction that is promoting and sustaining discontent and concern about what comes next.”
While partisanship is the most important part of the president’s negative action, it loses some support among Republicans in key areas such as tariffs and inflation, and has seen a notable deterioration among independents.
Tariffs seem to be a substantial part of the discontent of the general public. Americans disapprove of rates through the board by a margin of 49 to 35, and the majorities believe they are bad for US workers, inflation and economy in general. Democrats give tariffs a thumb down by a margin of 83 points and independent by 26 points. Republicans approve rates by a differential of 59 points, 20 points below their net approval of 79% of the president.
The great majorities of Americans see Canada, Mexico, EU and Japan as a cheaper opportunity for the United States instead of an economic threat. In fact, everyone looks more favorably than when CNBC asked the question during Trump’s first mandate. The data suggest that the public, including most Republicans, do not adopt the antipathy that the president has expressed towards those commercial partners. In China, however, the public sees it as a threat in a margin of 44% to 35%, substantially worse than when CNBC asked the last question in 2019.
The worst numbers of the president occur in their inflation management, which the public disapproves by a margin of 37 to 60%, including strong net negatives of democrats and independent. But with 58%, it is the lowest net positive approval of Republicans for any of the problems asked about the president. 57% of the public believe that we will soon be, or we are currently in a recession, compared to only 40% in March 2024. The figure includes the 12% who thinks that the recession has already begun.
The public also disapproves the management of the president of the Federal Government’s expenditure by 45% to 51% and a foreign policy in a margin of 42% to 53%.
The best Trump numbers arise from immigration, where its management of the southern border is approved by a margin of 53% to 41%, and the deportation of illegal immigrants is approved from 52% to 45%. The president achieved a slight majority of the support of the independents in deportations and 22% of the support of the Democrats on the southern border. While it is still modest, it is the best performance problem for Trump among the Democrats.
Meanwhile, Americans have become more negative in the stock market than in two years. About 53% say it is a bad time to invest, and only 38% say it is a good time. The numbers represent a strong change in the optimism of the stock market that greeted the president’s elections. In fact, the December survey represented the strongest change towards market optimism in the 17 years of history of the survey and the April survey is the strongest turn towards pessimism.
The president’s problems with his approval index do not seem to translate for now significant potential profits for the Democrats. When asked about the preference of Congress, 48% of public support Democratic control and 46% support republican control, barely changed the CNBC survey in March 2022.
