Illustration for: Poll Shows Economic Concerns, Division Among Trump Voters
AI-generated illustration. Visual interpretation does not represent real individuals or scenes.

Poll Shows Economic Concerns, Division Among Trump Voters

2025-12-10

The BareStory

A national poll of U.S. adults conducted from November 14-17 indicates that a significant portion of the public is concerned with the cost of living and holds President Donald Trump responsible for the economy. The survey of 2,098 adults, which one source noted has a margin of error of plus-or-minus two percentage points, found that 46% of Americans believe the current affordability crisis is Trump's responsibility, compared to 29% who blame former President Joe Biden.

According to the poll, 46% of Americans say the current cost of living is the worst they can remember, a sentiment shared by 37% of those who voted for Trump in 2024. For 56% of respondents, affordability was their top priority, with the most challenging costs being groceries, housing, and health care. The data also showed 43% of Americans, including 31% of Trump voters, feel there is less economic opportunity now than in the past.

The poll’s findings highlight a divide within Trump's 2024 voter coalition. One analysis categorized his supporters as "MAGA Republicans" and "non-MAGA" voters, finding different levels of loyalty and economic outlook. According to the data, 88% of MAGA voters trust the Republican party more on reducing living costs, while that figure drops to 61% for his voters who do not identify as MAGA. Furthermore, 47% of MAGA voters reportedly said the economy is still the fault of the previous administration, a view held by 26% of non-MAGA Trump voters.

A White House spokesperson, Kush Desai, said the administration's priority has been cleaning up what he termed the prior administration's "economic disaster." In contrast, a spokesperson for a Democratic super PAC stated it plans to highlight Republicans' "broken promise to lower prices." According to one summary, President Trump sent mixed messages on the issue, at one point calling himself "THE AFFORDABILITY PRESIDENT" and at another calling affordability a "Democrat scam."

Left Perspective

  • A plurality of Americans holds the current administration responsible for the cost-of-living crisis.
  • Many Americans, including some of Trump’s own voters, feel the economy is the worst they have seen.
  • Critics plan to highlight what they see as the Republican party's failure to reduce prices.

Right Perspective

  • The administration frames its economic policy as a cleanup of the previous administration's failures.
  • A strong majority of President Trump’s core supporters trust the Republican party on the economy.
  • President Trump has positioned himself as a leader on affordability.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Many people view the cost of groceries, housing, and healthcare as their top financial challenge, impacting household budgets more than any other issue.

• You can expect to see more political messaging about the economy, as both parties use the cost-of-living issue to appeal to voters.

• The poll's findings may pressure the administration and Congress to prioritize new policies aimed at lowering prices, though specific legislative outcomes remain uncertain.

Read the story at