Americans largely disapprove of Trump’s tariff increases

About this research

This Pew Research Center report looks at how the U.S. public feels about the economy, their concerns over economic issues and how Trump’s policies are effecting economic conditions.

Why did we do this? 

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We have studied Americans’ views of politics and major policy issues, including the economy, for decades.

Learn more about Pew Research Center and our politics research.   

How did we do this? 

We surveyed 8,512 U.S. adults from Jan. 20 to 26, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population. Here are the survey questions used for this report, the detailed responses and the survey methodology.  

By a wide margin, Americans continue to say they disapprove of the Trump administration substantially increasing tariffs: 60% say this, including 39% who say they strongly disapprove. By contrast, 37% say they approve of the increased tariffs, and just 13% strongly approve.

Views of the administration’s tariff increases have been relatively stable since last April, when President Donald Trump unveiled his far-reaching tariffs policy.

There continues to be a wide partisan divide on the increased tariffs.

About seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (71%) approve of the increased tariffs, while 28% say they disapprove.

About nine-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (93%) disapprove of the tariffs, including 70% who say they strongly disapprove. Only 7% say they approve.

These questions are part of a larger survey conducted Jan 20-26, 2026, among 8,512 U.S. adults. Read findings about the broader economy.

Wide partisan differences on predictions of the effects of the administration’s tariff policies

Roughly half of Americans say the effects of the administration’s use of tariffs will be mostly negative for the country (51%) and for them and their families (52%) over the coming years, while much smaller shares say the effects on both will be either positive or neutral.

Overall, Democrats say the administration’s tariff policies will have mostly negative effects on the country and on them personally. Republicans’ views are more mixed.

Among Republicans

Impact on the country

Roughly half of Republicans (49%) say the tariffs will benefit the country, while about a third (34%) see mixed positive and negative effects. About two-in-ten (17%) expect the tariffs to negatively affect the country in coming years.

Personal impact

By contrast, Republicans’ assessments of the impact of the tariffs on them personally are less positive than their evaluations of the impact on the country.

Among Republicans, 36% say the tariffs will have mostly positive effects on them and their families over the coming years. A slightly larger share (43%) say the personal impact will be a roughly equal mix of positive and negative, and 20% expect the personal impact will be negative. While Republicans’ views are only modestly different than they were last summer, they have become more likely to say the long-term effects for both the country and them personally will be mixed.

Among Democrats

Democrats overwhelmingly say the long-term effects of the administration’s tariff policies will be negative – both for the country as a whole and for them and their families (84% each). Roughly one-in-ten say the effects of the tariffs on each will be mixed. Very few (3% on both questions) say effects will be positive.

Views among Democrats are relatively unchanged from a year ago.