President Trump's handling of the economy has hit a new low in public opinion, according to a poll released Thursday by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows that 73 percent of Americans disapprove of the president's economic stewardship, while just 26 percent approve—a sharp decline from earlier in his term.
The poll, conducted Sept. 24-28 among 2,140 adults, found that 65 percent of respondents blame Trump's policies for high prices more than other factors. This sentiment cuts across party lines: half of Republicans say his economic agenda has been "worse than expected," while 69 percent of all respondents share that view. Only 7 percent say his performance has exceeded expectations, and 23 percent say it has matched them.
Approval of Trump's economic agenda has dropped 14 percentage points since March 2025, the poll notes. His handling of the cost of living is even less popular, with just 17 percent approval. The broader national mood is grim: 61 percent say the economy is worse off under Trump, and the same share say the country as a whole is worse off.
The president's struggles extend beyond economics. Majorities say his handling of trade negotiations (58 percent), foreign policy (55 percent), and immigration (48 percent) has been "worse than expected." On campaign promises, only 17 percent—including a small share of Republicans—believe he has delivered. Nearly half of Republicans (48 percent) say he has tried but often failed, while 87 percent of Democrats say he has not kept his word.
The findings come as Trump's overall approval rating has sunk into the low 30s in several polls. A Wall Street Journal survey published last Friday put his approval at 37 percent, the lowest for any president before midterm elections in the Journal's polling history dating back to 1990.
Part of the economic discontent is tied to the ongoing Iran war, now in its seventh month, which has driven up energy costs and inflation. The conflict has contributed to higher gas prices and is expected to keep pressuring prices into next year.
The AP-NORC survey's margin of error is 2.9 percentage points. The results underscore a challenging political environment for Republicans as they head into the midterm campaign, with Trump's red-state rally tour doing little to reverse the trend. His immigration stance has also alienated Hispanic voters, complicating the party's efforts to broaden its appeal.
Even as Trump touts major energy deals and infrastructure projects, the public's focus on pocketbook issues appears to be overriding those achievements. The poll suggests that economic anxiety, rather than policy wins, will dominate the political discourse in the coming months.
