Poll: The Economy

This Navigator Research report covers the most recent perceptions of the economy, including how Americans are viewing the national economy, their own personal financial situations, and who they see in the government as best equipped to handle the cost of living.

Trump Approval

Trump’s approval ratings are deeply underwater. Just 41% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the presidency and 40% approve of his handling of the economy. Compared with Navigator’s polling conducted at the same time last year, presidential approval has sunk from net +2 in late January/early February 2025 (49% approve – 47% disapprove) to net -15 now (41% approve – 56% disapprove). Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy has seen a similar dip, falling from net +1 in early 2025 (47% approve – 46% disapprove) to net -17 (40% approve – 57% disapprove).

Among independents and other groups, he’s even weaker. Just 24% of independents approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, and 30% approve of his handling of the presidency overall. Three quarters of Black Americans (75%) disapprove of Trump’s job as president, as do 64% of Hispanic Americans. Economic approval is similarly low for both groups – only 23% of Black Americans and 30% Hispanic Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. While he’s underwater across generations, Gen Z stands out in their frustration with Trump’s job in office. Among Gen Z, approval of Trump’s presidency is net -34 (32% approve – 66% disapprove) and approval of his job handling the economy is net -30 (33% approve – 63% disapprove).

Economic Sentiments

Americans remain uneasy about their economic futures. Just 31% of Americans give the economy a positive rating, and only 4% would describe the economy as “excellent.” Americans’ views on the economy are guided heavily by their partisanship – though even many Republicans are negative. Only one-in-10 Democrats (11%) offer a positive assessment of the economy, while just over half of Republicans (54%) rate the economy positively – still, only 7% of Republicans would rate the economy as “excellent.” Independents remain unhappy with the economy; only 21% feel the economy today is in good shape.

Americans feel a bit more optimistic about their own situation – but not by much. Overall, 39% feel confident, while 58% reported feeling “somewhat” or “very” uneasy about their pocketbooks. Again, partisanship plays a role: three-quarters of Democrats (75%) feel uneasy about their personal financial situations, while a slight majority (57%) of Republicans feel confident. As with overall economic sentiments, independents lean pessimistic. Only 32% of independents feel “confident” about their personal finances.

Just 25% of passive news consumers (those who say their news comes to them, rather than them seeking it out) give the overall economy a positive rating, while only 31% are confident in their own finances. In comparison, active news consumers are 10-points more positive on the overall economy (35% v. 25%) and 13-points more confident in their personal finances (44% v. 31%).

Americans and Trump Remain on Different Pages

The disparity between Americans‘ priorities and what they think are Trump and Congressional Republicans’ priorities is stark. While 63% of Americans prioritize inflation and the cost of living, only 25% see it as a top focus of Republicans, a 38-point gap. While immigration is narrowly a top five priority for Americans at 32%, this is still 41 points lower than where they see the Trump administration’s focus (73%). Even among Republicans, just 51% place immigration in their top five desired areas of focus. The number two perceived focus of Trump and Congressional Republicans, foreign conflicts (47%), is of little interest to either Democrats (9%) or Republicans (11%).