A new survey from the conservative-leaning Cato Institute shows that many voters are not pleased with President Trump’s tariff policies.
4,150 registered voters took part in the survey and here were the numbers.
75% said tariffs will be an important issue when they head to the polls in November.
74% believe the Trump administration’s tariff policies have raised prices. Those numbers include 66% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats.
57% said that tariffs are a tax on Americans.
53% felt tariffs have made the economy weaker, and only 23% said the tariffs have improved their personal quality of life.
When it comes to higher costs, respondents said they were changing their spending behavior.
47% say they’ve tried to cut back on spending altogether.
37% said they have switched to a different brand that costs less at the store. 33% have backed away from making larger purchases, hopeful that costs will come back down.
On trade policy, Cato says 57% oppose how the President has handled the issue, while 43% give him a favorable opinion.
The polling data also shows a plurality of voters will support the Democratic candidate for Congress over the GOP candidate, 47% to 42%, with 11% unsure.
“These findings suggest tariffs could pose a political liability for Republicans in the midterms, particularly among independents and voters concerned about higher prices,” said Emily Ekins, Vice President for Policy & Society at the Cato Institute.
Ekins says the tariffs debate matters disproportionately to Democrats this year, with 88% who say tariffs will be important to their vote, compared with 64% of Independents and 65% of Republicans who say tariffs will affect their vote.
