As America grapples with volatile markets triggered by Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs to countries, a new YouGov Survey revealed that a majority pf American adults are deeply skeptical about the policy and more than half of those polled said they regard the policy as the “largest peacetime tax hike” in US history. YouGov surveyed 1,139 adult US citizens between April 3 and 6 with a four percent margin of error, Newsweek reported. The tariffs were announced on April 2, which Trump dubbed as the Liberation Day.
The poll found 51 per cent of Americans agreed that the tariffs are “the largest peacetime tax hike in US history,” split between 30 per cent who said they “strongly agree” and 21 per cent who “somewhat agree.” By contrast, only 20 per cent said they disagreed either strongly or somewhat, with the remainder not sure.
51 per cent of Americans said they back the statement that “Republicans are crashing the American economy in real time and driving us into recession. This is not liberation day, it’s recession day.” Of these, 37 per cent said they “strongly agree” while 14 per cent said they “somewhat agree,” against 28 per cent who answered “strongly disagree” and 10 per cent for “somewhat disagree.”
Overall, 50 per cent of those polled said they disapprove of “recent tariffs announced by Donald Trump,” split between 39 per cent for “strongly disapprove” and 11 per cent for “somewhat disapprove.” By contrast 39 per cent said they approve, of which 21 per cent did so “strongly” while 18 per cent did so “somewhat.”
Just 22 per cent of American adults told YouGov tariffs “on foreign goods imported into the US should be” increased, against 35 per cent for decreased and 23 percent for kept the same.
Trump’s approval rating turns negative
In a poll conducted by Trump’s campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio for the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s approval rating has been shown as turning negative. But this poll was conducted before the tariffs were announced — between March 27 and April 1. According to this poll, 46 per cent approved of Trump’s overall job performance, while 51 per cent disapproved. In this poll, 54 per cent of people opposed the tariffs, some of which were announced at that time.