For all of the tumult and disruption that’s accompanied President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, his base — his voters and supporters in the diverse right-wing media ecosystem — has been his rock. No matter how nasty and accurate the criticisms he faces, Trump’s base continues to treat him as the powerful, popular president he envisions himself to be. If he says he’s doing a great job, they’re right there to agree.
But that is getting much harder than it used to be.
Fox News released new polling last week that showed Americans broadly remain skeptical of Trump’s leadership as president. That includes his handling of what was once his strongest issue: the economy. Trump’s re-election in 2024 was powered heavily by the surge in prices that followed the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, a surge that Trump promised to reverse.
But — in part because he couldn’t — he hasn’t. As a result, only 33% of Americans approve of his handling of the cost of living, with two-thirds disapproving. That’s a net approval rating of minus-35, a drop from the already poor minus-26 he saw last April, when the question was centered broadly on inflation. Even among Republicans, net approval of his handling of prices has fallen. Last April, a quarter of Republicans disapproved of the job he’s doing. Now, a third do.
This is a preview of Philip Bump’s latest column. Read the full column here.
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