Trump economic approval rating falls to 37 percent: Reuters/Ipsos poll [View all]

President Trump is seeing a drop in economic approval as concerns rise over his sweeping tariff agenda, which he argues will revitalize manufacturing domestically, according to a survey released Wednesday. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 37 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the economy — down 5 points since he returned to the Oval Office earlier this year. It is the lowest figure on the topic spanning both of his presidential terms, the pollster noted.

Nearly 75 percent of U.S. adults said they are worried about a recession and more than half the respondents, 56 percent, said Trump’s retooling of the economy is “too erratic,” including about 1 in 4 Republican voters, the survey found. The numbers also show that two-thirds of Americans said they are concerned about the impact of his trade war on the stock market. When responding to the statement, “Trump’s actions could make it harder for me to live comfortably when I retire,” roughly 52 percent of U.S. adults said they agreed, while 31 percent said otherwise, according to the poll.

Trump has imposed a 125 percent tariff on most Chinese goods coming into the U.S., on top of an existing 20 percent — as well as a flat 10 percent tariff on most foreign trading partners. He paused the majority of his higher “reciprocal” tariffs earlier this month and has also suggested the import taxes on Beijing could come down after negotiation.

Economists have warned that Trump’s tariff agenda could lead to higher inflation. JPMorgan Chase said earlier this month that the probability of a recession remains at 60 percent, while BlackRock CEO Larry Fink suggested the U.S. could already be in one. The president’s overall approval rating in the latest survey was 42 percent.

more... https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5262429-donald-trump-economic-approval-slipping-reuters-survey/