The American public has soured dramatically on one of President Donald Trump's signature policies, according to a new analysis.
The president campaigned on imposing tariffs on U.S. trading partners and launched his trade wars soon after returning to office, but after months of on-again, off-again duties that spiked consumer costs and rattled markets, CNN's Harry Enten said polling showed support for those policies has evaporated.
"This is a topic on which the American people have shifted significantly and they have shifted significantly against tariffs," Enten said. "I mean, this just gives you an indication, I mean, just look at the shift over the last year when Donald Trump was elected back in November of 2024, 52 percent of Americans favored new tariffs on imported goods, 48 percent opposed. Look at this switcheroo now: By late October of 2025, the clear majority, 62 percent, opposed new tariffs. That favor number has absolutely plummeted, down a 38 percent on the key policy that Donald Trump has been pushing since the beginning of this second term. The American people have shifted completely against the president of the United States."
Enten also found evidence that tariffs were dragging down the president's overall approval rating.
"This issue is dragging Donald Trump down because why what are we just looking at here?" Enten said. "Trump's net approval rating on trade tariffs in January. He was okay, right, it was doing okay. It was minus-two points, but in this political environment and the fact that polls oftentimes underestimate Donald Trump, this ain't too bad of a number. Look at where we are now: minus-24 points, a shift of 20 points away from the president of the United States. I was looking at data around this point in his first term. This is double digits worse as well as he was at this point on trade and tariffs as where he was in term number one. At this point, the American people have moved against tariffs, and they have definitely moved against Donald Trump when it comes to tariffs."
"The question is why – what's cooking?" Enten added. "Why are the folks moving against Donald Trump? Why are they moving against tariffs? I mean, this just gives you an indication – say tariffs affect on prices in the short term increase in March, 72 percent, 72 percent of Americans believed that tariffs raise prices in the short term. In March, you come over to October, Donald Trump's been making the argument and the American people ain't buying it, ain't buying it – 71 percent. It is awfully difficult when the number one issue in the country right now is inflation is affordability, and folks believe that a signature policy of yours increases prices. That is no bueno, that is no good. No wonder Americans are moving against tariffs and moving against Donald Trump's tariffs. As I said at the beginning, it is dragging him down."
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