A majority of US voters say their financial situation has worsened since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to a new Financial Times poll released less than three months before the November midterm elections.
The survey, conducted by the London-based research group Focaldata, found that 53% of registered voters felt worse off under Trump. The figure rose to nearly 57% among independent voters, while almost one in four Republicans also expressed the same view, according to Anadolu Agency.
Economic anxiety was visible across the poll. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said the US economy was moving in the wrong direction, compared with only 25% who believed it was heading in the right direction. Inflation, high prices and declining confidence among consumers continue to shape public opinion.
Voters gave Democrats an advantage over Republicans in dealing with inflation, the cost of living, jobs and the wider economy. Trump’s weakest rating concerned prices and household expenses: 64% of those surveyed disapproved of his performance in this area. Disapproval reached almost seven in ten among independents and about one-third of Republicans.
Overall, 55% of voters said they disapproved of Trump’s job performance. His net approval rating among Republicans also fell by eight percentage points compared with the previous month.
The poll showed Democrats leading Republicans by 44% to 39% among voters asked which party they were most likely to support in November. Recent polling suggests that Democrats may be in a strong position to regain control of the House of Representatives, although winning the Senate would be more difficult.
The findings come as inflation stood at 3.4% in July and government figures showed that real wages declined in the previous month. White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended Trump’s record, pointing to lower drug prices, new American jobs, tax cuts, falling violent crime and tighter border security.
The online survey was conducted from August 7 to 10 among 1,913 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
