New CNN polling shows a majority of Americans disapproval of the job President Donald Trump is doing on the economy. Trump’s approval on the most important issue is the worst since he took office in 2017. His numbers hit this new low during tariff discussions and worsening economic news.
By The Numbers:
Today 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 44% approve. At this point in his first term, those numbers were flipped, with 55% saying they approved and 41% saying they disapproved.
Trump’s highest marks on the economy were in April 2019, when 56% approved and 41% disapproved. The only other time when Trump’s numbers were upside down on the economy was the end of 2017, when his approval on the economy hovered around 45% and his disapproval was around 47%.
The Bottom Line: This CNN poll was conducted March 6-9, so it includes much of the back and forth on the tariff negotiations but does not include much of the stock market movement seen earlier this week. Additionally, it didn’t include reaction to the positive news yesterday that showed inflation slightly cooled in February. It would be helpful for Republicans to have a consistent, unifying message or talk track around the economy in the midst of DOGE cuts, tariff talk, CR votes, and stock market movement, to name a few. Otherwise, the party risks seeing approval slide overall or on other issues, too.
