For the first time, President Donald Trump has a negative approval rating in Texas over his handling of the economy, according to a new poll.
The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project survey, released Wednesday, found that 46% of Texans do not approve of how Trump is handling the country’s economy amid new tariffs and escalating trade wars. Just 40% support Trump’s economic moves.
It is the first time Trump earned a negative economic rating since UT Austin pollsters began asking about his handling of the economy in June 2019. Even at the height of the COVID pandemic Trump fared better, with a 49% approval rating in April 2020. Just 42% disapproved then.
“President Trump owns the current economic uncertainty lock, stock, and barrel,” said James Henson, who leads the Texas Politics Project.
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More Texans, 37%, said they believe they are economically worse off now compared to a year ago. Twenty percent said they were doing better. The same was true for the Texas economy, which 35% rated as worse off, compared to 27% who said it is better than a year ago.
Since taking office in January, Trump slapped tariffs on some of Texas’ biggest trading partners, including Mexico and Canada. While he’s rolled back some of the steepest hikes, there’s still a 145% levy on imports from China that trade experts say will likely push up prices for consumers.
Most Texas voters, 70%, think those tariff increases will result in higher prices. Fifty three percent say tariffs will hurt their household, while just 22% say it will help. Republicans, however, were a bit more optimistic: 40% expected tariffs to help their family, while 24% expected them to hurt their households.
You can find the poll data here, and a long term look at his favorability numbers in Texas for this poll here. His current approval in Texas is 47-46 and trending down. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the tariffs are a super weak spot for him and by extension for his endless list of cronies and enablers. Hit them on it, every damn day, between now and next November.
It would help if Off the Kuff would follow that advice.