President Donald Trump’s economic approval rating has fallen to a new low, exposing a widening gap between the White House’s economic message and the daily reality many Americans say they are living through at gas stations, grocery stores, hotels, airports, and kitchen tables.
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll released June 18 found that only 33% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 60% disapprove. That is Trump’s lowest economic approval rating ever recorded by Marist on this question, a sharp political warning for a president who has long treated the economy as one of his strongest issues.
The poll also found Trump’s overall job approval at 36%, the lowest mark of his second term. Among independents, a critical voting bloc in a midterm election year, 64% disapprove of his overall performance. On the economy specifically, 65% of independents disapprove.
The numbers point to a hard truth for the administration: Americans are not judging the economy by stock market speeches, campaign slogans, or official talking points. They are judging it by the cost of filling a tank, feeding a family, paying rent, booking a summer trip, and trying to stretch wages that still feel too small for the bills in front of them.
Trump’s Economic Approval Falls to 33% as Voters Focus on Affordability
The poll’s central finding is politically damaging because the economy has been one of Trump’s most durable brands. For years, even some voters who disliked his tone, legal fights, or political style still gave him credit for jobs, business confidence, and growth.
That advantage is now under pressure.
Only one-third of adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy. Six in 10 disapprove. That does not mean every voter blames him for every price increase, but it does show that more Americans are connecting their financial stress to the current administration.
The danger for Trump is not just that Democrats oppose him. That is expected. The deeper problem is erosion among voters he needs to keep close: independents, working-class households, lower-income voters, and even a slice of Republicans.
The poll found that 22% of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. That is not a collapse inside his party, but it is a warning sign. When nearly a quarter of voters in a president’s own party are unhappy with his strongest issue, the political ground is shifting.
Gas Prices Are Falling, but the Pain Has Not Disappeared
Gas prices are a major reason the economy feels worse for many households than the headline numbers suggest.
AAA reported the national average for regular gasoline at $3.999 per gallon on June 18, down from $4.515 a month earlier but still far above the $3.188 average from one year earlier. In practical terms, prices have moved in the right direction recently, but many Americans are still paying much more than they remember paying last summer.
That is why the political relief may be limited.
In the Marist poll, 34% of Americans said current gas prices are a “major strain,” while 44% called them a “minor strain.” Only 22% said gas prices are no strain at all.
That means 78% of Americans still feel gas prices are affecting their household budgets in some way. For families with long commutes, older vehicles, children’s activities, medical appointments, or summer travel plans, even a small change at the pump can ripple through the rest of the month.
The administration can point to the recent drop. Voters can point to receipts.
That is the political problem.
The Grocery Aisle Is Still Shaping the Economic Mood
Gas prices are the most visible symbol of the affordability squeeze, but they are not the only one.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index rose 4.2% over the 12 months ending in May 2026. Food prices were up 3.1% from a year earlier, food at home rose 2.7%, and food away from home increased 3.5%.
Those numbers may sound modest on paper, but they land differently at the household level. A family does not experience inflation as a percentage. It experiences inflation as a smaller cart, fewer restaurant meals, cheaper brands, delayed repairs, and a quiet calculation before every purchase.
Some categories have been especially painful. Fruits and vegetables were up 6.1% from a year earlier, nonalcoholic beverages rose 5.8%, and full-service meals and snacks climbed 3.8%. For families already pressured by rent, insurance, childcare, and debt, even basic food inflation can feel like another cut.
That is why voters often react more strongly to prices they see every week than to economic data released once a month. A president can argue that inflation is cooling in some areas, but if a shopper still feels squeezed at checkout, the argument may not matter.
Working-Class Voters Are Sending a Warning
One of the most important details in the poll is the dissatisfaction among white voters without a college degree, a group Trump won comfortably in 2024.
According to the poll, more than half of white voters without a college degree disapprove of his economic approach. That matters because this group has been central to Trump’s political coalition, especially in industrial states, rural communities, and working-class suburbs.
These voters often care less about abstract economic measures and more about whether wages cover the basics. They notice gas prices because they drive to work. They notice grocery prices because they buy for families. They notice utility bills because they pay them directly. They notice insurance premiums increase because they cannot easily shop around for insurance.
If this group begins to feel that Trump is not delivering on affordability, the political damage could extend beyond one bad poll.
It could create problems for Republican candidates in competitive House and Senate races, especially in districts where small shifts among working-class voters can decide the outcome.
Trump Still Holds Most of His 2024 Voters
The poll does not show Trump losing his base entirely. Among people who voted for him in 2024, 77% still approve of his handling of the economy.
That is a strong number and a reminder that Trump remains deeply resilient with loyal supporters. Many voters who backed him may still blame corporate price gouging, global energy instability, congressional gridlock, or the lingering effects of prior policy decisions for today’s economic strain.
But elections are not decided only by the most loyal voters.
They are decided by margins.
If Trump keeps most of his base but loses ground with independents, soft Republicans, younger voters, or lower-income households, the political impact could be serious. A president does not need total collapse to face a midterm backlash. A few points of erosion in the wrong places can reshape congressional races across the country.
That is why the 33% economic approval rating matters. It is not just a number. It is a signal that the administration’s economic message is not reaching enough people who feel financially trapped.
Summer Travel Shows Americans Are Still Spending, but Differently
The poll also found that 55% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation, the same share as in 2021 and only slightly below last year. At first glance, that may seem to undercut the idea of economic anxiety.
But the details tell a more complicated story.
Two-thirds of Americans said cost has affected their summer plans at least somewhat. Among households earning less than $50,000 a year, only 39% plan to take a vacation. Among those earning $50,000 or more, 63% plan to travel.
That split shows how affordability is dividing the country’s summer experience.
Some Americans are still traveling, but they are shortening trips, choosing cheaper hotels, sharing rentals, driving instead of flying, eating fewer restaurant meals, or turning a planned vacation into a weekend getaway. Others are staying home entirely because the math no longer works.
Among Americans not taking a summer vacation, nearly half said cost was the main reason.
That is not a small lifestyle adjustment. For many families, summer vacation is one of the few rewards after months of work, school, bills, and pressure. When that disappears, the economy feels personal.
