 "US President Donald Trump. File Photo/Reuters")
Amid fears of a recession as a result of his policies, US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has started to fall.
Since February, approval of Trump’s performance has fallen on more than half of the issues covered and now less than half of Americans approve of his policies, according to the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris survey.
The findings come at a time when dissatisfaction with Trump’s economic and trade policies is rising. While policies like tariffs are expected to increase inflation, unfunded tax cuts, mass firing, and crackdown on migrants are bound to add to recessionary factors. There are fears that a mixture of these policies could lead to a situation of stagflation where low growth persists amid high inflation.
Trump’s approval rating falls amid fears for economy
As per the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris survey, 49 per cent of registered voters approved of Trump’s performance — down from 52 per cent last month.
Trump’s approval dropped on more than half of a dozen issues, including the economy and foreign affairs, and remained best on immigration, according to the survey.
More than 40 per cent voters now think that Trump is doing worse than expected, which is seven points up fom last month, and 30 per cent think he is dong better than expected, as per the survey.
Such findings have come at a time when economic indicators are flashing warning signs. Amid Trump’s tariff wars, Moody’s has warned that there is a 40 per cent chance of the country facing recession this year. Economists have also warned that at least a mild form of stagflation is a realistic possibility.
As Trump continues to fire people across the government and shut government programmes, he is expected to make nearly 1 million people unemployed either directly or indirectly. This would be the largest single addition to country’s unemployment in history. Such a loss of productivity, coupled with a decline in sectors like food production and construction that heavily depend on migrants, are expected to add to recessionary pressures. Meanwhile, tariffs are expected to add to inflationary pressures. As a result, stagflation remains a realistic possibility.