Trump hit with grim economic outlook as nearly half the country thinks it’s less affordable under his watch

Donald Trump is facing a grim economic reality going into an important midterm election year – nearly half the country thinks everyday life is less affordable under his watch.

A December Daily Mail poll conducted by JL Partners found that 36 percent of registered voters believe the cost of living is much more unaffordable since he returned to office in January, with another 12 percent ranking it a little more unaffordable, totaling 48 percent overall.

Only 12 percent said it was much more affordable now that the President has taken the economy over from Joe Biden, while 19 percent said it was a little more affordable.

Those numbers come as Trump has pushed back that he’s losing on the affordability message after a Democratic sweep of recent off-year and special elections.

The President has told various audiences that affordability complaints are a ‘con job’ and a ‘hoax.’ 

The Republican was reelected last year after touting his economic prowess, promising to lower prices and curb inflation.

Trump has insisted that the economy is in good shape and that the GOP-backed tax provisions in the ‘big, beautiful bill’ and tariff income will enrich everyday Americans.

But 44 percent of voters said they believed the economy is currently worsening.

That’s higher than the 38 percent of voters who said the economy was worsening in the Daily Mail’s January poll, conducted ahead of Trump’s swearing-in.

And that’s in contrast to the 32 percent who believe it’s in an upswing, the new survey found.

Another 15 percent said the economy was already bad and wasn’t getting worse.

The economic headlines tell a strong story: Gross domestic product grew at a robust 4.3 percent annual rate during the third quarter, driven by solid consumer spending and surging AI investment. The S&P 500 has climbed more than 17 percent this year, while November’s unemployment rate of 4.6 percent remains lower than it has been in roughly two-thirds of all months since 1948.

But the macro numbers do not capture individual struggles. While layoffs remain relatively rare, hiring has slowed significantly, leaving those who lose their jobs facing a difficult job market and rising costs for everyday essentials. 

Not surprisingly, Republicans were more optimistic in the poll about the economy than their political counterparts, with 57 percent stating that the economy is improving, compared to 22 percent of independents and 20 percent of Democrats.

At the same time, only 23 percent of Republicans believed the cost of living was much more affordable under Trump.

The new poll found that a bigger chunk of voters also viewed Trump more negatively.

When pollsters asked voters if they viewed the President more positively or negatively in recent weeks, 36 percent said they viewed Trump more negatively, while 28 percent said they viewed him more positively.

However, there was a glimmer of good news for the 79-year-old – his approval rating ticked up one point from the Daily Mail’s last survey, conducted in early December.

He’s now at 48 percent approval, with 52 percent disapproving of the President as 2025 comes to an end.

There is also one economic policy proposal that could give Trump a boost, the survey found.

There is a majority support for tariff checks to be sent out to American families, something White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pledged last month.

The survey found that 52 percent of voters support the move, while only 20 percent oppose.

A near-majority of Democrats also gave it the green light, with 44 percent supporting.

Polling consisted of 1,000 registered voters online and was conducted December 20 to 21.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.