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Many supporters of President Donald Trump are not fans of his trade policies, with a new poll showing them slamming his tariffs.
A poll by Politico and Public First conducted in June found that between a quarter and almost half of those who backed Trump in last year’s election harbor doubts about various parts of his tariff policies, particularly when it comes to China.
Only half of Trump voters think his tariffs on China will benefit U.S. companies, according to the poll.
This comes as the president has refocused his efforts on trade and bringing industries back to the U.S. Trump recently sent off several contentious tariff letters to other countries, which outlined his threats to put in place major new tariffs.
The poll from mid-June, well before the tariff letters were sent, reveals that Trump may lose some supporters over his policies. While he promised during the 2024 campaign to bring down the cost of living, his trade policies now may rock the global economy and push up inflation.
President Donald Trump has begun to write to countries informing them of their tariffs, with the EU and Mexico facing a 30% rate (AP)
Roughly one in four Trump voters said in the poll that the tariffs are damaging the ability of the U.S. to negotiate trade deals with other countries. The president’s supporters are also evenly split on whether Trump should have the power to impose tariffs, with 44 percent saying he should have Congress’s approval versus 45 percent who say he should have the authority to put in place the levies.
Trump has said that he may put in place yet another round of tariffs on August 1, threatening a 30 percent tariff on goods from Mexico and the European Union. The tariffs, which Trump has claimed will bring in “big money” to the U.S., are paid by the importer, and many companies pass those costs on to the customer.
Forty-six percent of Trump voters said they back tariffs on China “even if it increases prices at home.” Meanwhile, 32 percent say they only support tariffs if it doesn’t raise prices, and nine percent said they oppose tariffs. Twenty-five percent of Trump voters said the tariffs on China hurt U.S. companies.
However, 55 percent said that while it will be challenging to get a deal with China, they expect that the president “will be able to do it.” Eighteen percent said it won’t be difficult to reach an agreement. Twelve percent said Trump won’t be able to get a deal with the second-largest economy in the world.
Among those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris, 47 percent said the same. Eighty-six percent of Harris voters said the tariffs are damaging to the U.S. ability to arrange better trade deals.