Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, discussed with Kudlow the potential effects of a government shutdown on the economy, along with the strategies Democrats might use to challenge Trump.
Recently, voters’ opinions about the economy have declined, especially as economic worries have influenced the return of the former president, Donald Trump. Supporters of the Trump White House are now turning their attention to his latest approval ratings from a Fox News poll.
The poll, taken over the weekend, revealed that about 75% of voters perceive the economy negatively. In fact, 76% believe the current economic climate is “not very good” or “poor.”
Individuals’ thoughts about their own finances mirror this negativity; 60% ranked their personal financial situation as poor, while only 40% claimed to be in good or excellent shape.
A significant portion of the electorate, around 61%, disapproved of Trump’s handling of economic matters, with just 38% approving. Interestingly, 77% of Republicans expressed approval of his economic policies, contrasting sharply with just 25% of independents and a mere 6% of Democrats.
A striking 62% of respondents felt that Trump bears more responsibility for the current economy than his predecessor, Joe Biden, with only 32% siding with Biden.
There was also a noticeable partisan split, as nearly 40% of Democrats criticized Trump, while 42% of Republicans pointed fingers at Biden. Independents largely reflected these views, favoring Trump 62% to 29% over Biden.
Further in the poll, 31% more voters believed that Trump’s policy choices had caused more harm than good, hinting at a similar situation seen at the end of Biden’s term, when voters believed his economic strategies did more harm than good.
When it comes to tariffs, the sentiment was overwhelmingly critical. About 63% of participants disapproved of Trump’s tariff strategy, including 72% of independents and 92% of Democrats.
As for inflation concerns, the majority (52%) felt that prices were far from being under control. Only 18% of voters believed inflation was managed effectively, while 29% thought it was somewhat handled.
Voters were particularly attuned to rising grocery costs, with 85% noting increases over the past year. Meanwhile, health care and utility costs also saw significant mentions of increases, with 78% and 67% of voters respectively reporting higher expenses compared to the previous year.
Daron Shaw, a Republican pollster involved in the Fox News poll alongside Democrat Chris Anderson, stated that the dynamics are straightforward: people are struggling with essential purchases and attributing those difficulties to current leadership. Interestingly, Democrats might gain politically from the challenges they’ve created, though this led to setbacks for them in 2024.
