Trump’s Economy Ratings Hit 2-Term Low — Just a Single Point From Biden’s Worst: Poll

(Saul Loeb/Pool photo via AP)

A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy has fallen to a two-term low of 36 percent, with net ratings that leave him just one point ahead of former President Joe Biden’s own worst numbers.

Trump rode back into the White House promising to tame inflation and bring down prices, blaming years of Biden economics, but the new poll, released Wednesday, suggests that public patience is wearing thin, even while the president continues to call affordability a “hoax.”

Fifty-seven percent of voters now disapprove of his handling of the economy, with independents showing a sharp drop-off in support, according to the findings. The overall difference leaves Trump at -21 for December. Biden’s low-water mark came in February 2022 when a 58 percent disapproval rating put him at -22 points on net.

More than 6 in 10 Americans say the economy is not working for them personally, while 7 out of 10 describe the cost of living in their location as unaffordable. Prices are overwhelmingly the dominant economic pressure facing Americans.

Nearly half of respondents, 45 percent, cited prices as their top financial concern, dwarfing all other issues. Housing costs trailed distantly at 18 percent, followed by tariffs at 15 percent and job security at 10 percent.

Seven in 10 respondents said their monthly expenses now meet or outstrip what they earn, with the strain falling disproportionately on non-white and younger Americans. While 68 percent of white respondents reported that their income is being fully absorbed or exceeded by costs, the figure rose to 77 percent among Black respondents and 78 percent among Latino respondents.

The same pressure was evident among younger adults, lower-income households, and those without a college degree, who were far more likely to say their finances no longer stretch from one month to the next.

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