Trump Cost-of-Living Approval Sinks to Record Low 17%

WASHINGTON — Just weeks before voters decide control of Congress, Americans are delivering a brutal verdict on the president’s stewardship of their wallets. A new Trump cost of living approval rating from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows only 17% of U.S. adults approve of how President Donald Trump is handling the cost of living — a record low that lands squarely on the issue that carried him back to the White House.

The poll, conducted Sept. 24–28 among 2,140 adults, found that just 26% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy overall, also a new low. Seven in 10 adults said his management of living costs has been worse than they expected, and 65% blame his policies for persistently high prices rather than factors outside his control, according to the AP-NORC findings reported by AFP.

Trump’s cost of living approval: what the numbers show

The survey paints a picture of a presidency losing the argument on the economy it promised to fix. Among the key findings:

• Only 17% approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living — the lowest mark of his presidency.
• Overall economic approval has fallen to 26%, with even many Republicans expressing disappointment.
• A majority of adults, 65%, say Trump’s own policies bear more responsibility for high costs than outside factors.
• Tariffs and the ongoing war with Iran rank high among the policies voters fault for the squeeze.

“I was hoping it would be better or different, but it’s not really good,” said Robert Gault, 66, a retired factory worker from Bradford, Pennsylvania, who describes himself as a Republican, in comments quoted by AFP. “Our president, I thought, was going to help the country, and so far he has not really seemed to have done that with the economy or in general.”

Why the cost-of-living verdict matters before the midterms

The dismal numbers arrive at the worst possible moment for the White House. The November midterm elections will determine whether Republicans keep their majorities in Congress, and Trump has been hitting the campaign trail with an aggressive schedule of rallies — asking voters to pretend he himself is on the ballot in an effort to drive turnout.

But the poll suggests that strategy is fighting against gravity. Inflation remains a daily reality for households: gasoline prices have been volatile, grocery bills remain elevated, and the war with Iran continues to rattle energy markets. Voters who backed Trump in 2024 expecting lower prices now say they haven’t seen the relief they were promised.

The president’s signature policies have become part of the problem in voters’ eyes, according to the poll. His aggressive use of tariffs — the sweeping import duties that defined his first-term and now his second-term trade agenda — is now blamed by a majority for making things more expensive rather than protecting American jobs.

Trump’s economic approval hits new low among his own base

Perhaps most alarming for Republicans is the erosion among Trump’s own coalition. The poll found that even many Republicans fault him for failing to deliver the promised economic relief, according to the AP-NORC report. When a president loses trust on his core issue — the issue that arguably won him the election — the political consequences extend down the ballot.

Republican congressional candidates in competitive districts are already beginning to distance themselves from the administration’s tariff policies, and Democratic challengers are making the cost of living their central attack line. Polling consistently shows the economy ranks as the top issue for voters heading into November.

The broader economic picture

To be fair to the administration, the macroeconomic picture is mixed rather than catastrophic. U.S. jobless claims recently fell to 197,000 — the fourth straight weekly decline — and second-quarter GDP growth was revised upward to 2.2%. Consumer spending jumped 0.9% in August, and PCE inflation cooled to 3.4%.

But headline statistics mean little to households still feeling the pinch at the checkout line. Economic sentiment surveys have long shown a disconnect between solid macroeconomic indicators and how Americans feel about their personal finances. The AP-NORC poll confirms that disconnect is now working decisively against the president.

What happens next

With five weeks until Election Day, the White House faces a choice: recalibrate its economic message or double down. Trump has shown little appetite for easing tariffs, and his $500 ACA refund checks — announced for eligible health insurance enrollees — amount to a one-time gesture rather than sustained relief.

Democrats, meanwhile, will hammer the 17% figure at every turn. In an election where control of Congress hangs in the balance, the cost of living could prove to be the deciding issue — just as it was in 2024, only this time the president is on the other side of it.