There has been plenty in President Donald Trump’s second term that’s proven politically unpopular. But when it comes to what’s most significant for the upcoming midterm elections — and most problematic for Republicans trying to defend their congressional majorities — two charts tell the tale as well as anything. Both feature a remarkably steady decline for Trump’s fortunes.
And both now show him worse off than ever before. The latest numbers come from new polling from CBS News and YouGov, which have frequently polled views of Trump’s handling of the economy over the last 18 months. They also come as Trump headed to Michigan, a key battleground state, on Monday to promote his economic agenda.
Trump’s neglect on inflation Early in Trump’s second term, the percentage of Americans who said the administration wasn’t focused enough on lowering prices was already high. Back then, it hovered in the mid-60s, when the president seemed more focused on tariffs than kitchen table issues and inflation. But the percentage of Americans who think the administration is not focused enough on lowering prices has risen steadily since then.
And now, in the first poll asking the question since the start of the Iran war in late February, it’s up to 78 percent. Just to underscore, that’s nearly 8 in 10 Americans who say the Trump administration has neglected what might well be the single most important issue to voters. It often seems difficult to get 7 in 10 Americans to agree on much of anything politically, but this is an even larger majority than that.
The percentage who say the administration hasn’t focused enough on this issue also includes 85 percent of independents and even a clear majority of Republicans (58 percent). All three findings are new highs for Trump’s second term. The poll question didn’t focus on Trump himself — it just asked about the administration — so maybe respondents had unnamed bureaucrats in mind rather than the president himself.
But this is a reflection of Trump’s presidency. And what’s most stunning is how steady it’s been. Trump hasn’t been able to do anything to temporarily juice the numbers in his favor.
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