A quarter of Americans say Trump’s policies have helped them: Poll
FILE-President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A recent poll shows that a quarter of Americans believe President Donald Trump’s policies have helped them since he returned to the White House.
Trump also didn’t earn majority approval on any of the issues, and fewer respondents believe he understands the problems facing people like them, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
Approximately 1,437 Americans were surveyed between July 10-14 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel.
Americans don’t see positive impact from Trump's policies
Why you should care:
According to the poll, half of Americans say that President Donald Trump’s policies have "done more to hurt" them since his second term began six months ago.
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Roughly 2 in 10 respondents say Trump’s policies have "not made a difference" in their lives, with 25% saying his policies have "done more to help" them. Moreover, a majority of Democrats and half of independents say Trump’s policies have had a negative impact, while even many Republicans say they haven't seen positive effects.
Trump's handling of immigration, economy and more not favored by Americans
Big picture view:
President Donald Trump received less than 50% approval on every issue included in the new poll, like the economy, government spending, trade, taxes, immigration, health care and his management of the Middle East conflict.
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Forty-three percent of Americans said they support Trump’s handling of immigration, down slightly from the 49% in a separate poll on the topic released in March. The poll also noted that only 4 in 10 Americans approve of Trump's handling of government spending and the overall economy.
Most view Trump as effective, but fewer think he understands their needs
Dig deeper:
The poll also shows most Americans think President Donald Trump is at least somewhat effective, but many admit that he doesn’t understand the issues facing them.
Roughly 6 in 10 say "capable of getting things done" describes Trump at least "somewhat" well. While half of respondents say the same about the phrases "good negotiator" or "capable of handling a crisis."
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Meanwhile, most Americans, 56%, say "understands the problems facing people like you" is a phrase that describes Trump "not very well" or "not well at all." And among Republicans in the poll, only half say Trump understands the problems facing people like them "extremely" or "very" well.
Trump approval ratings drop
The other side:
Roughly 4 in 10 Americans say they approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. Trump has received mixed reviews about his policies. The AP noted that inflation increased in June to its highest level as Trump’s sweeping tariffs hiked the cost of everything from groceries to appliances.
And his budget bill included Medicaid cuts that will lead to 11.8 million more Americans becoming uninsured and add $3.3 trillion to the national debt, the AP reported, citing Congressional Budget Office estimates.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll consisting of 1,437 Americans surveyed between July 10-14 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.