Three out of four Americans blame Trump for rising prices, new poll finds

With rising gas prices, mortgage rates and consumer prices, most Americans say they blame President Donald Trump for the increased cost of living and worsening economic conditions, according to a new poll.

Between the end of April and early May, roughly 77 percent of respondents to a CNN/SSRS survey said Trump’s policies have driven the cost of living up, with most people blaming his decision to go to war with Iran and the implementation of tariffs as the driving factors.

Trump ran on a campaign promising economic prosperity for the average American, claiming he would end inflation, lower energy prices and cut the cost of everyday items, such as groceries. While the president was able to keep some of those promises in his first year in office, his decision to go to war with Iran in February has had tangible economic consequences for the average American.

As of May 12, AAA determined the nationwide average cost of a gallon of regular fuel was $4.50 – up from $3.13 one year ago. The Consumer Price Index, which acts as a key measure of inflation, found that consumer prices continued to increase in April – up 3.8 percent from last year.

General morale around the president’s handling of the economy is at an all-time low, according to the CNN/SSRS poll, with roughly 70 percent of respondents saying they disapprove of the economy under the president.

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“While the President has been clear about short-term disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury, the Administration is focused on implementing the proven Trump agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy abundance to keep America on a solid economic trajectory,” White House Spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.

“As traffic in the Strait of Hormuz normalizes again, Americans will again see gas prices plummet, real wages grow, inflation cool, and trillions in investments continue pouring in,” Desai added.

Most Americans believe the cost of living and the economy are the biggest issues facing the country and that is likely to play a major factor in how voters cast their ballots in the November midterm elections.

Historically, voters trust Republicans more to create prosperous economic policies than Democrats. But registered voters were equally split between both parties when asked which side would do a better job handling the economy, according to the CNN/SSRS poll.

Still, a large swath of voters do not trust either party.

But when it comes to the blame game, many believe the president has driven up everyday prices through his policies.

Gasoline prices surpassed $4 per gallon in March, for the first time since 2022, as a result of disrupted oil transportation in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Grocery prices have also been impacted, rising 2.9 percent since last year.

Housing is an issue plaguing many Americans, especially young people. Mortgage rates have steadily increased since 2022, but data from Freddie Mac show that rates, once again, jumped shortly after the Iran war.

Roughly 10 percent of CNN/SSRS survey respondents said that the cost of housing and the housing market were the biggest issues facing their families.

Trump has urged Congress to pass a housing bill aimed at lowering costs that would restrict large investors from buying single-family homes. However, the bill has faced pushback from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

More Americans are also flagging high health care costs as an issue plaguing families. A Pew Research Center survey determined 73 percent of adults said the affordability of health care is becoming a big problem – six percentage points higher than last year.

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The Trump administration has sought to lower prescription medication costs with TrumpRX, a website that offers discounted prescription prices, as well as implementing tariffs on foreign prescription medication manufacturers.

However, Democrats criticized the president’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act for making health care more expensive through financial cuts to Medicaid and eligibility requirements for patients on Medicaid.

The findings from CNN/SSRS mirror similar data collected by Reuters/Ipsos, which determined 63 percent of people disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy and roughly 70 percent disapproved of his handling of the cost of living at the end of April.

A Gallup poll, conducted in April, also found that nearly half of U.S. adults described economic conditions as “poor.”

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