Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-01 · by Jill Colvin And Linley Sanders The Associated Press
Americans are deeply frustrated with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and rising prices, with most panning his performance and blaming his policies as higher costs threaten his party’s chances in November.
asserted
costs → frustrate → November
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of the Republican president’s handling of the cost of living.
asserted
% → find → living
Just 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a new low.
asserted
% → approve → low
A majority, 65%, of U.S. adults now blame Trump’s policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside of his control, signaling growing weariness over his aggressive use of tariffs and continued unhappiness with the war with Iran.
asserted
majority → blame → Iran
The dismal numbers come just weeks before midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress and while Trump is hitting the campaign trail with an aggressive schedule of rallies.
asserted
Trump → come → rallies
But Trump — who has asked voters to pretend that he is on the ballot as he tries to bolster turnout — remains deeply unpopular, with even many Republicans faulting him for failing to deliver on promised relief.
asserted
Republicans → ask → relief
“I was hoping it would be better or different, but it’s not really good
asserted
it → hop → ?
,” said Robert Gault, 66, a retired factory worker from Bradford, Pennsylvania, who describes himself as a Republican.
asserted
who → say → Republican
“Our president, I thought, was going to help the country, and so far he has not really seemed to have done that with the economy or in general.
asserted
he → think → economy
He’s not really done what I was hoping he would
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he → do → what
,” said Gault.
asserted
Gault → say → ?
“He said, ‘Make America Great Again.’
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America → say → ?
And I have not seen him do that.”
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him → see → that
Costs drag on Trump as the economic pain keeps coming
Over the last few months, Americans have grown more worried about being able to afford basics like groceries and gas.
asserted
Americans → drag → groceries
About half of U.S. adults now say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to fill their tanks, up from 39% in July.
asserted
they → say → July
About half are also highly concerned about being able to afford food.
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half → afford → food
Just the cost of everything is going up as a result of fuel,” said Pedro Sanchez, 52, of Perris, California, who voted for Trump and works in law enforcement.
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who → go → enforcement
“I used to have a lot more disposable income.
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I → use → income
I don’t have that any more.
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I → have → that
It’s gotten eaten up because of all these increases in the cost of everything.”
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It → eat → everything
Trump’s current approval on the economy is a 14 percentage point drop from March 2025, just after he took office for the second time.
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he → take → time
His struggles on the issue mark a significant departure from his first term, when the economy was often a point of strength.
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economy → mark → strength
Trump spent much of the 2024 campaign hammering President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats, on inflation and promising to lower prices.
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Trump → spend → prices
About 7 in 10 Americans say Trump’s handling of the cost of living has been “worse than expected.”
asserted
handling → say → living
That includes roughly half of Republicans, who are also broadly concerned about being able to afford groceries and gas.
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who → include → groceries
It seems like everything is going up,” said Bethany Lnenicka, 41, who operates a small farm in Fairfax, Iowa.
asserted
who → seem → Fairfax
“It’s just one thing and the next week it’s another thing.
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it → ’ → ?
It’s just insane.
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It → ’ → ?
And of course your income doesn’t go up.”
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income → go → course
A political independent who typically votes Republican and has voted for Trump three times, Lnenicka said she had hoped his second term would be more like his first.
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term → vote → first
“I just do not feel like it has gotten a lot better,” she said.
asserted
she → feel → ?
About 6 in 10 Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, according to the new poll, up from about half in April.
uncertain
Republicans → disapprove → April
“It definitely doesn’t feel like we have trended in the right direction,” agreed Kristen Slaven, 41, a mental health therapist who lives in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, and typically votes Republican.
asserted
who → feel → Republican
She said Trump is focused on the wrong things.
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Trump → say → things
“Obviously wars don’t help.
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wars → help → ?
When they’re necessary, I understand.
asserted
I → ’re → ?
But our focus on renaming bodies of water and pieces of land, that’s just stupid to me when people can’t feed their family,” she said.
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she → rename → family
“I had hoped that it would be better,” Slaven added.
asserted
Slaven → hop → ?
Some Republicans are still willing to cut Trump some slack
Despite their frustration, most Republicans, 67%, say factors outside of Trump’s control are more to blame for high prices.
asserted
factors → cut → prices
“I think inflation is a very difficult thing to tackle,” said Fred Naumann, 51, a Republican and longtime Trump supporter who lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
asserted
who → think → Bay
…and 21 more, not listed.
The Aporia
