Heading into the election, a significant portion of registered voters, particularly Donald Trump's supporters, hold a negative outlook on the U.S. economy. Sixty-two percent of Trump supporters rate the U.S. economy as "poor," a stark contrast to Kamala Harris's supporters. Trump supporters emphasize the economy and inflation as critical voting issues, and many believe the president has substantial control over prices, especially gas prices. They also largely blame Democrats (47%) and profit-seeking corporations for inflation.
Despite the negative assessment, Trump supporters generally trust Trump more than Harris on economic matters. Trump holds a 10-percentage-point lead over Harris on the economy overall, with 49% of registered voters believing he would do a better job compared to 39% for Harris. He also leads by 8 points on inflation and 3 points on taxes, which are among the most important issues for voters. A majority (57%) of Trump supporters believe the country is in a recession.
While some Trump voters express dissatisfaction with his economic performance, particularly regarding the cost of living and unfulfilled promises to lower prices, many do not directly blame him. Instead, they often attribute the high costs to broader structural issues like corporate greed, oligopolies, and excessive money supply, or believe he has limited control over everyday expenses. Most Trump supporters (66%) anticipate his economic policies would treat all groups equally, and a significant majority (84%) expect prices to decrease under his presidency, either gradually or immediately.
