Reuters finds seventy-eight percent blame Trump policies for rising costs

In an October 9 report analysing a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 78% of respondents placed at least some responsibility for rising living costs on the White House. That included 64% of Republicans and 76% of independents.

The online survey was conducted from September 30 to October 5 among 4,506 US adults. Ipsos's published methodology gives a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points for the full sample at the 95% confidence level. The poll measures perceptions of economic conditions rather than establishing the causes of price changes.

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans said their costs were rising faster than their earnings. Among all respondents, 68% disapproved of the president's handling of inflation, including 40% of Republicans. About a quarter of Republicans disapproved of Trump's economic performance, as did 63% of independents and 92% of Democrats.

Reuters reported that 54% of respondents believed living costs had increased substantially over the past year. Another 30% reported a small increase and 10% saw no change. Many linked higher prices to import tariffs. Meanwhile, 45% also identified unauthorised immigration as a cause of rising costs.

Some respondents are reducing discretionary spending. Sixty-three percent said they were visiting restaurants less often, while 56% were spending less on entertainment or streaming services. Reuters noted that hourly wage growth broadly tracked consumer-price increases.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers rejected the negative assessment of administration policy. She told Reuters that Trump had ended the inflation crisis inherited from Joe Biden, supported the economy through tax cuts and reduced prescription-drug costs.

Living costs remain a major issue before the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Economic dissatisfaction does not necessarily change party allegiance. Herman Sims, a Dallas trucking-company employee interviewed by Reuters, said he would continue voting Republican despite high diesel prices and disagreement with the Iran war.