Poll: Most Americans have the summer blues about Trump and the economy

Swing Shift

These swing voters are adding high gas prices into their political calculations

More than three quarters of Americans continue to say gas prices are a strain on their budgets, even as average gas prices have fallen about 40 cents a gallon from a month ago, according to AAA. The survey was taken before the latest announcement of an agreement between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Those concerns have a real world impact: 45% of Americans say they don't plan on taking a summer vacation this year, with about half of those people citing cost as the main reason.

The survey of 1,340 respondents was conducted June 8-11 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points, meaning results could be about 3 points higher or lower. Respondents were reached by live caller, text and online.

Trump — and his economy — continue to be unpopular

The erosion in Trump's support continues to cut across multiple demographic groups that were key to his victory in 2024.

• Among independent voters, 64% continue to disapprove or strongly disapprove of Trump's performance, the same as April's survey, along with 94% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans.
• Approval among Gen Z (25%), Gen X (36%) and those with a household income below $50,000 a year (34%) continued to decline from the last poll.
• In February 2025, Trump had a net positive approval rating of 22 points among rural Americans but he is now 10 points underwater.
• By a roughly two-to-one margin, Latinos disapprove of Trump's performance.

Economy

Inflation tops 4% for the first time in 3 years on spike in gasoline prices

When specifically asked about the economy, only one-third of white Americans without a college degree say they approve of Trump's handling, down from nearly half in April 2025.

Still, the vast majority of Republicans are sticking by Trump, like 68-year-old Greg Votel, a retired law enforcement officer in Minnesota who said the president "can only do so much when you have a Congress that's fighting him tooth and nail to preserve the Democratic Party" and told NPR that it will take more time for Trump's plans to come to fruition.

"It doesn't happen overnight," he said. "It's going to take some time, it's going to probably take at least two administrations. Trump's got the ball rolling."

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There are many economic factors working against Republicans this year, including high inflation, the ongoing war in Iran, higher gas prices and Trump administration policies around tariffs, among others.

Middle East conflict

Here's how much the Iran war cost — and how its effects will linger

The Americans surveyed express concerns about the way those policies are impacting household decisions. When asked if they planned to take a vacation this summer, a similar share of respondents said yes (55%) to the last time the question was asked in 2025 and 2021. This year, cost was listed as a top factor against planning a trip, with those with a household income under $50,000, Gen X and those outside large cities and suburbs more likely to choose that reason.

Vacation or not, two thirds of adults say cost has had some or a great deal of impact on their summer plans, including 53% of Republicans and 49% of those over 60.

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