A new CBS News/YouGov poll found that less than 2 in 10 respondents believe President Trump’s policies are improving their current financial situation.
The poll, released Sunday, found that 18 percent of respondents believe the president’s policies are making them financially better off now, while 27 percent believe his policies will improve their financial straits next year.
Meanwhile, half of the respondents said Trump’s policies are making them worse off right now, with 45 percent saying his policies will worsen their financial situation in 2026.
As his first year back in office comes to a close, the president is faced with growing pressure from Americans — including his own supporters — over the cost of living.
The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.7 percent over the 12 months ending in November, down from 3 percent in September and January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The inflation rate remains above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent, however.
The price of food and energy, meanwhile, rose 2.6 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, for the 12 months ending in November, a decrease of 0.5 percent and an increase of 1.4 percent relative to September, according to the BLS.
Firms have also passed on a portion of the costs incurred from the president’s tariffs to consumers. As of Nov. 17, consumers faced an average effective tariff rate of 16.8 percent, the highest mark since 1934 and a 14.4 percent point increase since early January, according to the Yale Budget Lab.
The state of the economy and Americans’ sentiments toward it will have significant implications heading into the 2026 midterms. Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and Miami touted their proposals to tackle affordability en route to a series of victories this year.
The president sought to change the narrative earlier this month, kicking off a nationwide tour in Pennsylvania to tout his administration’s work on lowering the cost of living.
