President Donald Trump is continuing to face headwinds in the polls over the economy as the year comes to a close.
A new poll, conducted by Harris and released by the Guardian on Monday, found that more than twice as many Americans believe their financial security is getting worse compared to better, by a 45% to 20% margin. It showed a sharp political divide on how U.S. adults are feeling about their wallets, with over half of Democrats and more than a quarter of Republicans pointing to financial woes.
According to the poll, 57% of Americans also believe the U.S. economy is in a recession — despite inflation cooling in November and economic growth surging in the third quarter of this year.
While Trump has focused his messaging on the economy in recent weeks, he has yet to win over independents, the poll showed, with 54% saying their financials are worsening, and 58% believing the country is experiencing a recession.
When asked whether the federal government or corporations are responsible for increased prices, 72% of independents pinned blame on the White House, in addition to 76% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans.
The poll is only the latest in a series showing Americans have given negative marks on the issue over the past month.
A CBS News/YouGov poll, released last week, revealed that most voters do not have high expectations for the president to make their wallets better off in the new year, while fewer than 1 in 5 say his policies have helped them financially.
Meanwhile, an Emerson College poll found that a majority of Americans give Trump a failing grade on the economy. A Fox News poll revealed a similar conclusion, with most voters believe the economy is in bad shape.
Trump’s approval rating on the economy also plummeted to its lowest level in both terms in an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, which discovered that just 36% of Americans approved of his performance on the economy. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that the president received just a 31% approval rating on the issue.
In an interview with POLITICO released Saturday, Trump argued that control of Congress during the 2026 midterm elections will ultimately come down to “pricing.” He expressed confidence that Americans are buying his message: that his administration is fixing what his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, left behind.
“Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down,” Trump said in the interview. “Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down.”
The president and administration officials have predicted an economic boom in 2026.
The Harris poll surveyed 2,180 U.S. adults from Dec. 11-13. It did not provide a margin of error.