Poll: 53 percent of US voters feel their conditions have worsened

Washington (ANTARA) - A Financial Times poll released on Sunday (16/8) found that a majority of voters in the United States say their conditions have worsened under the leadership of President Donald Trump, amid growing dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and the cost of living.

The poll, conducted by the London-based research firm Focaldata, found that more than 53 percent of registered voters said their financial situation had deteriorated since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

In addition, nearly 57 percent of independent voters and almost a quarter of those who identify as Republicans also said their conditions had worsened under the Trump administration.

The national poll also showed the Democratic Party holding an advantage in handling jobs and the economy, two issues long considered Republican strengths.

The poll was released just days after data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that US inflation slowed in July but remained at an elevated level.

The consumer price index recorded a 0.1 percent month-on-month increase and a 3.4 percent rise compared with the same period a year earlier.

Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua that inflation is outpacing wage growth and people are struggling to pay their bills. Many feel left behind and unable to keep up with the cost of food, petrol and healthcare.

Experts say public sentiment towards the economy is negative and that could hurt the Republican Party in the midterm elections.

“What we are seeing across society is general economic dissatisfaction, regardless of what the economic indicators say,” Christopher Galdieri, a professor of political science at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, told Xinhua.