Poll shows most U.S. voters "worse off under Trump"

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Most U.S. voters said they have become worse off under President Donald Trump, amid growing discontent with his handling of the economy and cost of living, according to a Financial Times poll released Sunday.

The poll, conducted by London-based research firm Focaldata, found that more than 53 percent of registered voters said their finances had deteriorated since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Nearly 57 percent of independents and almost a quarter of self-identified Republicans also said they felt worse off under Trump, the poll showed.

The nationwide poll also gave Democrats an edge on handling jobs and the economy -- issues that have long been seen as Republican strengths.

The poll was released just days after data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that U.S. inflation moderated in July but remains elevated.

The consumer price index saw a 0.1 percent increase month-on-month and a 3.4 percent rise from the same period a year ago, according to the data.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua: "Inflation is outstripping wage gains and people are having difficulty paying their bills. Many feel they are falling behind and not able to keep up with the cost of food, gas and healthcare."

Experts said that the general feeling about the economy is negative and that could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections.

"What we're seeing in the public at large is a general economic discontent, regardless of what economic indicators say," Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, told Xinhua. Enditem