A significant share of President Donald Trump's most devoted supporters are openly questioning whether his policies have harmed their own finances, according to a Harris poll commissioned by The Guardian.
The data shows stark financial hardship among Trump's base: 56% of voters who identify as part of the MAGA movement report struggling to pay down debt or bracing for financial collapse. The same proportion struggle with housing costs. Fifty-seven percent cannot comfortably afford healthcare. Fifty-eight percent are squeezed by utility bills. Sixty-one percent are rationing groceries. Sixty-three percent report rising gas pump costs.
Trump's elimination of healthcare subsidies has pushed insurance premiums upward, administration officials acknowledge. Tariffs imposed beginning in March sent inflation rebounding after months of Federal Reserve progress toward easing monetary conditions, interrupting gradual declines in mortgage rates. Manufacturing employment has contracted by nearly 100,000 positions since Trump's inauguration, with tariff policy bearing significant responsibility.
Rural America voted for Trump by a 40-point margin in November 2024. Today, 49% of rural voters report deteriorating personal financial security, up from 42% three months earlier, following what the administration called "liberation day"—the tariff announcement that roiled global financial markets.
Americans without a four-year degree, another core constituency, show the same pattern. Forty-five percent now report worsening finances, up from 42% in April.
Fifty-four percent of MAGA faithful now identify government—Trump's government—as primarily responsible for rising consumer prices. When it comes to tariffs specifically, 41% accept the economic consensus that American consumers absorb most of the cost. Only 31% accept Trump's claim that foreign producers pay the tab.
Yet the movement has solidified in other ways. Sixty-two percent of rank-and-file Republicans now identify as MAGA, up from 38% in September 2022. Fifty-seven percent of MAGA voters still believe the government prioritizes affordability. Sixty-nine percent still believe it's capable of fixing economic problems.
But discontent extends beyond Trump's base. Among all Republicans, 38% believe the economy is deteriorating, up five percentage points from April. Among independent voters—the swing constituency that determines election outcomes—44% report worsening financial security versus 15% seeing improvement.
Among Americans feeling squeezed by affordability pressures, only 26% think Democrats can solve the problem. Twenty-five percent think Republicans can. Thirty-six percent believe neither party is equipped to address the issue.
Voters remember the economic challenges of 2021-2023 under President Joe Biden, even with circumstances having shifted. They remain skeptical of Democratic promises to manage the economy better, regardless of Trump's current policies.
