Special Poll
A new round of polling is revealing growing unease among Americans about the direction of the economy and it could spell trouble for President Trump as he seeks to maintain momentum in his second term.
According to a CBS News/YouGov survey released Thursday, the public’s economic outlook has become more pessimistic since just last month. Only 29 percent of respondents now say they expect the economy to be growing next year, a five-point drop from February. Meanwhile, the share of Americans who believe the economy will be in a recession by 2025 rose from 23 to 28 percent. Another 21 percent predict the economy will be slowing, a number unchanged from the previous month.
The numbers paint a sobering picture especially for working-class Americans, many of whom make up the core of Trump’s voter base. Among those earning under $50,000 per year, a majority 57 percent say their financial situation is “bad,” while just 39 percent say it’s “good.” Even in the $50,000 to $100,000 income bracket, 35 percentreport that their finances are in poor shape, despite 61 percent describing them as good.
More broadly, just one-third of Americans (33 percent) currently say the economy is good, unchanged from February. A solid 60 percent say it’s in bad condition. These persistent negative sentiments come even as Trump continues to tout his economic policies as pro-growth and pro-worker.
Perhaps most concerning is the overwhelming number of Americans 76 percent who say their income is not keeping up with inflation, a statistic that underscores the disconnect many voters feel between top-level economic indicators and their real-life financial experience. In addition, 70 percent of respondents said they feel anxious about their retirement savings, with only 30 percent saying they feel financially secure about their future.
Even though Trump’s overall approval rating has risen to 46 percent, buoyed by Republican support particularly among men the growing economic pessimism could undermine his ability to expand his coalition or rally moderate and independent voters ahead of 2026. A separate NBC News survey released earlier this month found that just 18 percent of Americans believe the economy is currently “excellent” or “good,” reinforcing the message that optimism is in short supply.
While Trump has leaned heavily into populist economic rhetoric highlighting tariffs, deregulation, and tough stances on foreign trade the polling suggests that many Americans are not seeing the benefits of those policies in their everyday lives. Rising costs, stagnant wages, and financial anxiety are dominating the public mindset, and that perception could pose a serious vulnerability for Trump if left unaddressed.
With the president doubling down on aggressive trade actions and signaling more to come, the question facing the White House is becoming harder to ignore: Is Trump’s economic strategy helping the country or hurting the very Americans who put him back in office?