A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults believe President Donald Trump’s policies have benefited them since he took office.
The poll highlights a lackluster response to Trump’s handling of key issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending, and health care.
Despite being perceived as capable of getting things done, many Americans feel Trump does not adequately understand their struggles.
Approximately half of U.S. adults indicate that Trump’s policies have ‘done more to hurt’ them in their daily lives since the beginning of his second term six months ago.
Only about 20% of respondents stated the policies have ‘not made a difference,’ while around one-quarter said his policies have ‘done more to help.’
The overwhelming majority of Democrats, along with a significant portion of independents, report negative effects from Trump’s policies, even as some Republicans express skepticism about the positive impacts of his administration’s decisions.
Landon Lindemer, a 29-year-old logistics manager from suburban Atlanta who has voted for Trump three times, expressed uncertainty about the tangible benefits of his policies.
He noted, “As it sits today, I don’t know if his policies have made much of a difference in my day-to-day life.”
Despite his concerns regarding the extensive spending approved by the president’s budget bill, Lindemer remains generally approving of Trump’s job performance.
The poll’s findings on Trump’s policies come at a time when he continues to struggle with delivering on critical campaign promises.
Issues such as lowering costs for working-class Americans, maintaining popular social welfare programs like Medicaid, ending foreign wars, and decreasing government spending remain unresolved.
With inflation rising to its highest level since February, Americans are increasingly feeling the burden of Trump’s tariffs on everyday items like groceries, clothes, furniture, and appliances.
Additionally, the president’s budget bill is projected to result in substantial cuts to Medicaid, potentially leaving an estimated 11.8 million more Americans uninsured, and adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Ongoing violent conflicts in regions such as Israel and Ukraine further complicate his administration’s challenges.
In light of these issues, approximately 40% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s job performance, a figure consistent with his June ratings but historically low compared to those of recent presidents.
In contrast, roughly half of Americans approved of the job performances of Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama at similar points in their presidencies, with Biden’s approval subsequently declining in the latter half of his first year.
Poll participant Bailey Neill, a 42-year-old attorney from San Antonio, expressed fear regarding Trump’s leadership.
As a Democrat and a self-described “student of history,” Neill characterized Trump as an authoritarian figure who follows the controversial playbook outlined in Project 2025, a conservative framework for sweeping changes across the federal government.
He stated, “In terms of my day-to-day life, I really haven’t seen a change, except for the general fear and anxiety I feel at a core level.”
The AP-NORC poll revealed that Trump fails to secure majority approval on any major issue, including immigration, the economy, government spending, trade, taxes, health care, and his handling of conflicts in the Middle East.
Only 43% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of immigration, a drop from the 49% approval recorded in March.
Approval for Trump’s management of government spending also decreased, with only about 40% of Americans expressing satisfaction, down from 46% earlier this year.
On the broader issue of the economy, approximately 40% of adults approve of Trump’s performance, a figure that has seen little change over the months.
Timothy Dwyer, a 26-year-old retail sales worker and self-described independent voter from Dyersburg, Tennessee, had a critical view of Trump’s economic policies.
He remarked that Trump’s tariffs have negatively impacted the country’s image and economic standing.
“They’ve turned us into a toilet and have absolutely made us the laughing stock of the world,” he said regarding Trump’s trade policies, alongside expressing disappointment in efforts to reduce grocery prices and health care costs.
Despite the widespread criticism, a majority of U.S. adults still view Trump as somewhat effective.
Around 60% of respondents stated that phrases such as ‘capable of getting things done’ and ‘good negotiator’ describe Trump at least ‘somewhat’ well.
However, the public sentiment towards whether Trump understands people’s needs is considerably different.
A significant 56% of Americans contend that Trump does not understand the problems facing people like them, a sentiment that remains prevalent even among many Republicans.
While half of the Republican respondents acknowledged that Trump understands their problems ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ well, many noted a disconnect.
Levi Fischer from Marshalltown, Iowa, a three-time Trump voter, voiced a mixed opinion on his policies.
“I think he’s doing quite well. He could be doing a hell of a lot worse,” Fischer commented, yet also noted that he hasn’t perceived improvements in the economy as swiftly as he had hoped.
In summary, the AP-NORC poll indicates a challenging landscape for President Trump as he faces a polarized electorate and numerous unresolved issues during his second term.
The poll involved 1,437 adults and was conducted from July 10 to July 14, utilizing NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel to ensure a representative cross-section of the U.S. population.
The margin of sampling error for the overall adult sample is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
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