A majority of respondents in a poll released Wednesday say they have a negative view of President Trump’s handling of the economy even as he gets high marks from voters on immigration.
The CNN/SSRS poll found that 56% of respondents disapprove of Mr. Trump’s performance on the economy since returning to office, while 44% said they approve. That matches his overall approval rating, with the poll finding 45% liking Mr. Trump’s job performance versus 54% against it.
Among self-identifying Republicans and 2024 Trump voters, his overall support outpaces his handling of the economy. The poll found that 92% of Republicans say they approve of Mr. Trump’s handling of the presidency, with 88% cheering his performance on the economy. In addition, 91% of Trump 2024 voters say they support the work he’s done in his second term, with 87% high on what he’s done on the economy.
Mr. Trump received high marks from voters on his handling of immigration, with 51% approving versus 48% disapproving.
However, Mr. Trump was underwater with voters for his management of the federal government as he slashes agency budgets, lays off workers and shutters departments, with 48% approving and 51% disapproving.
The economy remains a thorn in Mr. Trump’s side. The poll found that 42% of respondents view the economy as their top issue, more than doubling the second issue picked by respondents, the state of U.S. Democracy (19%). Other issues voters listed as their concerns include immigration (14%), health care (12%), foreign policy (3%) and climate change 2%.
The economy was the issue that resonated the most across party lines, with 33% of Democrats and 45% of Republicans saying it was the most pressing issue.
Voters’ frustration with the economy comes as stocks continue to slide in response to Mr. Trump’s ever-shifting tariff policy for Canada, Mexico and China. Stocks plummeted Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 478 points, and fell again Wednesday morning. The president has also made Wall Street jittery after he refused to rule out a recession.
“I hate to predict things like that,” Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” when asked if Americans should expect a recession. “There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing. … I think it should be great for us.”
In the interview, Mr. Trump acknowledged that the economy could experience “disruptions” because of his tariffs.
“You can’t really watch the stock market,” he said. “If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We go by quarters, and you can’t go by that. You have to do what’s right.”
Mr. Trump’s use of tariffs has been fickle. In February he announced a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada, then delayed it for one month. It was imposed last week, but he announced exemptions for auto manufacturers.
He has also vowed to impose additional tariffs on lumber, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, steel and aluminum.
The CNN/SSRS survey was conducted March 6-9 with 1,206 respondents. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points.
