Majority of Americans believe Trump’s economic moves are too erratic, poll finds

More than half of Americans believe U.S. President Donald Trump is acting too erratic in his efforts to reshape the economy, including his aggressive approach to imposing tariffs on imports that rattled the stock market, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.

While 57% described Trump’s actions as too erratic, about a third of respondents disagreed, and 11% were unsure or did not provide an answer. Even within his own party, about one in three Republicans view his approach as too erratic.

Despite these concerns, Trump’s economic policies still have strong backing among Republicans. The poll found that 79% of Republicans agreed with the statement that his actions “will pay off in the long run,” suggesting that while some may not favor his leadership style, they support the substance of his policies. Overall, 41% of respondents believed his economic approach would be beneficial in the long term, though that number dropped to just 5% among Democrats.

The poll also revealed widespread concern about the potential impact of higher tariffs. About 70% of respondents— including nine in ten Democrats and six in ten Republicans—expected tariffs to drive up the cost of groceries and other everyday goods.

When asked about priorities, 61% of those surveyed said tackling rising prices should be Trump’s main focus.

The nationwide poll surveyed 1,422 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of three percentage points.