Overview
- Late‑May national polls found 53 percent of Americans say the cost of living is the worst they can remember and 46 percent place primary responsibility on President Trump.
- Top polls from the same period put Trump’s approval in the mid‑30s, with the Economist/YouGov survey reporting a 34 percent rating and other polls showing similar lows.
- Voters report sharp price increases for essentials: about 79 percent say gas is higher, 77 percent say food costs rose, and 62 percent say medicine costs climbed since the president took office.
- Households are responding with cutbacks: surveys and reporting show roughly six in ten Americans have reduced grocery and discretionary spending as higher fuel and transport costs push up prices.
- The White House blames short‑term effects of Operation Epic Fury and Strait of Hormuz disruptions and says normalization will lower prices, but analysts warn that deteriorating finances—including about 18 percent of 2024 Trump voters saying they are worse off—could hurt GOP midterm prospects.