President Trump’s approval rating fell slightly, but most voters still back him, according to a new poll from Emerson College released Tuesday.
The poll found that the president’s approval rating dropped to 47%, a decline of three percentage points from last week, but Mr. Trump remains in a net positive amid 45% disapproving of his job performance.
At the start of Mr. Trump’s presidency, the same Emerson College poll found that Mr. Trump had a 49% approval rating versus 41% against.
Voters’ perception of the economy hurt Mr. Trump, with 48% saying they don’t like his handling of the economy while 37% approve. The poll found that voters disliked Mr. Trump’s tariffs and embracing of cryptocurrency.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of polling at Emerson College, said the numbers suggest Mr. Trump’s honeymoon with voters might be in the homestretch.
“Despite not yet delivering on the economy in voters’ minds, Trump’s support remains strong,” Mr. Kimball said in a statement. “However, the true challenge will be how voters perceive their financial future. While little has shifted since the election, the initial ’honeymoon phase’ seems to be coming to an end.”
A plurality of voters (46%) say Mr. Trump’s policies are making the economy worse while 28% say they’re worsening money matters. Most voters opine that increasing U.S. tariffs will hurt the economy (53%) while 37% say they will help.
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 Monday, with the Dow Jones dropping 890 points after Mr. Trump declined to say if America is headed toward a recession, and continued falling Tuesday.
“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.
Also in the poll, 39% of respondents said their family finances are worse off versus a year ago, 37% said they’re about the same and 24% said they’re better off.
Mr. Trump did receive high marks for his immigration policies, with 48% of respondents approving his efforts to secure the U.S. border compared with 40% against. Respondents also supported his plans to balance the federal budget, with 43% for and 38% against.
The Emerson poll was conducted March 8-10 among 1,000 registered voters, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
