Donald Trump returned to office promising to combat inflation and bring prices down. And a significant problem for him in his first year of administration is that he’s mostly failed to do so, and voters are starting to notice—even his own supporters.
According to The Daily Beast, a new Politico poll shows that 46 percent of Americans “say the cost of living in the U.S. is the worst they can ever remember it being,” and that includes 37 percent of people who voted for Trump in 2024.
In addition, per Politico, “Americans also say that the affordability crisis is Trump’s responsibility, with 46 percent saying it is his economy now and his administration is responsible for the costs they struggle with.”
Politico sees the poll as a “warning sign” for the GOP heading into the midterm election year, since “some of the very groups that powered Trump’s victory last year are showing signs of breaking from that coalition, and it’s the high cost of living that’s driving them away.”
🚨NEW: 46% of Americans say the cost of living in the U.S. is the worst they can ever remember it being—including 37% of Trump voters. They also say the affordability crisis is Trump’s responsibility, with 46% saying he’s responsible for the higher costs.https://t.co/kBKeEkTMWJ pic.twitter.com/NIjLcILw7w
— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) December 4, 2025
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“This is a small warning, but it’s one that Republicans need to understand, is that to hold the House in 2026, it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck effort,” GOP strategist Ford O’Connell said, per Politico, following Tuesday’s special election in Tennesee in which a Republican running for Congress own, but by a much smaller margin than Trump did last year.
The poll also looked at some dynamics heading into 2026.
“Republicans were already worried about how they can turn out lower-propensity voters during a midterm cycle when Trump himself is not on the ballot. Now Democrats are also trying to peel away their voters by focusing aggressively on affordability, which remains a top priority for 56 percent of Americans, according to The POLITICO Poll. As was the case in November, affordability was central to the Tennessee special election, with Behn repeatedly centering her campaign on an affordability pitch.”
Meanwhile, in the RealClearPolling average, Trump remains underwater, with a disapproval rating of 54.9 percent compared to approval of 42.4 percent, which yields a double-digit negative spread.
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
