A new AP‑NORC poll released on May 28, 2026 found that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the cost of living, a 14‑point drop from March 2025.
The same survey gave Trump a 26% approval rating for the economy, its lowest since the start of his second term, and revealed that 65% of respondents blame his policies for persistently high prices.
"I was hoping it would be better or different, but it’s not really good," said Robert Gault, a 66‑year‑old retired factory worker from Pennsylvania, a Republican who has watched the inflation spiral without seeing relief. "Our president…has not done what I was hoping he would," he added. Pedro Sanchez, a 52‑year‑old law‑enforcement officer in California, complained that "prices are ‘extremely exorbitant’—the rising fuel costs have eaten his disposable income." Bethany Lnenicka, a 41‑year‑old small‑farm operator from Iowa who usually votes Republican, said, "I just do not feel like it has gotten a lot better."
While the broader public holds Trump responsible, 67% of Republicans say external factors explain high prices, and 64% accuse him of overreaching with tariffs, a jump from 58% in January.
Trump’s 26% economic approval rating matches former President Joe Biden’s 28% rating in June 2022, when inflation peaked during the pandemic, yet Biden still faced less blame for high prices—only 44% blamed his policies in October 2022. Only about 30% of Americans approve of Trump’s trade negotiations, and 69% say the war with Iran was not worth fighting, up from 64% in July.
The poll data arrives weeks before the November 5 midterm elections, and GOP strategists are expected to use the findings to recalibrate their messaging and outreach to swing voters.