Most US voters say their financial situation has worsened since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to a Financial Times poll conducted less than three months before the November midterm elections.
The Focaldata survey found that 53% of registered voters felt worse off under Trump, including nearly 57% of independents and almost one-quarter of Republicans.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said the US economy was moving in the wrong direction, while only 25% said it was heading in the right direction.
Concerns over inflation and living costs
Voters gave Democrats an advantage over Republicans on inflation and the cost of living, as well as jobs and the economy.
Trump’s approval rating on inflation and living costs was particularly weak, with 64% disapproving of his performance. This included nearly seven in 10 independents and about one-third of Republicans.
Overall, 55% of respondents disapproved of Trump’s performance, while his net approval rating among Republicans fell by 8 percentage points from the previous month.
The findings come as inflation, high prices and declining consumer sentiment continue to weigh on Americans. Inflation stood at 3.4% in July, while government data showed that real wages declined last month.
Democrats hold edge ahead of midterms
When asked which party they were more likely to support in November, 44% of voters chose Democrats, compared with 39% for Republicans.
Polls have indicated that Democrats are positioned to regain control of the House, although winning control of the Senate remains more difficult.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended Trump’s record, saying the administration continued to pursue the President’s affordability agenda through lower drug prices, efforts to reshore American jobs and tax cuts.
He also cited what he described as a historic drop in violent crime nationwide and the most secure border in history.
Poll conducted among 1,913 voters
The online survey was conducted by London-based, nonpartisan Focaldata from Aug. 7 to 10 among 1,913 registered voters.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
