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While President Donald Trump receives positive reviews on border security and public safety, the economy remains a weakness. Prices are a problem for most voters, as only a small number feel they are getting ahead financially, and more than half think things are worse under the new White House.
By a 22-point margin, a Fox News national survey finds that more voters say the Trump administration has made the economy worse (52%) rather than better (30%).
Those sentiments are almost identical to how they felt about the Biden administration and are the reverse of how voters felt eight years ago during Trump’s first term.
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The survey was completed before Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination Wednesday.
Ratings of the economy continue to be negative by more than 2-to-1 (71% negative vs. 29% positive). That’s roughly where things stood when Trump took office.
As has been the case for more than four years, fewer than 15% say they are getting ahead financially, while at least three times that number say they are falling behind.
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Yet, in some areas, voters say things are not as bad. A year ago, 48% said gas prices were a “major” problem for their families. Now 33% feel that way, down 15 points. Likewise, a smaller share says housing costs (by 11 points) and grocery prices (by 8 points) are a major problem.
It’s the opposite on utility (+2 points) and healthcare costs (+7), as more people call those a major problem.
Still, large majorities describe each of these costs as either a minor or major problem.
“The question former President Biden’s team was asking a year ago was whether voters would get used to an $8 dollar box of cereal, and the answer was no,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with his Democratic counterpart, Chris Anderson.
“I think the Trump team is finding this dynamic still holds. It’s not enough that prices aren’t rising. They need to come down. If not, 2026 will be a bad year for the GOP.”
Voters’ persistent negativity about the economy was at least somewhat validated by a recent Labor Department report that showed the 2024 employment estimates were much weaker than initially thought.
The economy remains by far the most important issue to voters (37%). That’s followed by immigration and border security (13%), healthcare (11%) and political division (11%). All other issues are in single digits, including crime and guns. Notably, Democrats, Republicans and independents agree the economy is the top issue facing the country.
Looking ahead, voters are pessimistic: 62% think life will be worse for the next generation of Americans. That’s up from 53% who felt that way a year ago and is the second highest in Fox News surveys going back to 2002. By a 10-point margin, optimism is higher among parents (44%) than non-parents (34%), and by a 13-point margin, more dads (50%) than moms (37%) think life will be better for their kids. Eight in 10 Democrats and independents think life will be worse, while six in 10 Republicans think it will be better. A year ago, nearly six in 10 Democrats said life would be better for the next generation, while seven in 10 Republicans and six in 10 independents said worse.
Approval of Trump on the economy stands at 39%, only one tick higher than his record low, and even fewer voters approve of his handling of tariffs (36%) and the cost of living (32%).
While Trump’s ratings are better on immigration (47% approve) and crime (50%), his best marks are on border security, as 57% approve. That’s not only a record on border security, but it’s also his second-highest approval ever on any issue in a Fox News survey (the highest was 60% for “recent hurricanes” in 2017). In addition, 49% approve of ICE, up from 46% in June.
Fewer are concerned about crime in their neighborhood: 32% are extremely or very concerned, down from 48% in 2021.
Over half approve of the federal government generally playing a role in policing crime in large cities (53%) and specifically of Trump sending National Guard troops to help the police in Washington, D.C. (51%).
Currently, 46% like the job Trump is doing overall, while 54% disapprove. His highest approval this term was 49% in March, soon after taking office. Fully 88% of Republicans approve, as do 55% of men under age 45 and 48% of Hispanics. Among all voters, a larger number strongly disapproves of Trump (45%) than strongly approves (25%). That 20-point intensity gap is mostly unchanged since March and is comparable with Biden’s ratings for most of his term.
Some 46% of voters also approve of the job Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is doing as secretary of Health and Human Services. His ratings are higher among parents (53%) and dads (57%) than non-parents (43%) and moms (49%).
Forty-nine percent approve of Jerome Powell’s performance as chair of the Federal Reserve. About half of those approving of Trump also approve of Powell, and vice versa.
Poll-pourri
Two-thirds of voters think the country has become less united since Trump took office. That’s double the number who feel he has brought people together and worse than the 54% who felt Biden was dividing the country four years ago.
Trump’s personal favorable rating is in line with his job approval: 43% view him favorably and 57% unfavorably, for a net negative of 14 points. Vice President JD Vance (-12), former Vice President Kamala Harris (-13), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (-12), and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (-11) all have about the same net negative favorability as Trump. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s marks are underwater by 13 points, yet he is unknown to nearly half of voters.
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Three quarters think the president should “always” follow the law, while one quarter say the U.S. is so far off track it needs a president who will “break some laws” to set things right. Those sentiments have remained unchanged since December 2023. Three times as many Republicans as Democrats think the U.S. needs a president willing to break some laws to set things right.
More voters have confidence in their local courts (66%) than in federal courts (58%) or the Supreme Court (55%). Far more Republicans (78%) have faith in the Supreme Court than independents (47%) and Democrats (34%), while majorities of all three groups have confidence in their local courts.
Conducted Sept. 6-9, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (119) and cellphones (638) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (247). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
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