Former President Donald Trump’s trade policies, once a cornerstone of his appeal to blue-collar workers, are now reportedly losing favor among the very demographic they aimed to protect. A recent analysis by CNN senior political analyst Ronald Brownstein highlights growing discontent among working-class voters, who are increasingly blaming tariffs for rising consumer prices.
Shifting Sentiment on Tariffs
While Trump’s initial trade stance helped him garner significant support in the industrial Midwest during his 2016 campaign, current sentiment suggests a notable shift. A January Pew survey found that 60% of Americans now oppose his tariff increases. This opposition extends even to white voters without a college degree, a group traditionally more supportive of Trump’s trade approach.
Further polling reinforces this trend. An April CNN/SSRS poll revealed that four times as many Americans felt tariffs had negatively impacted their personal finances compared to those who believed they had helped. State-level polls in key manufacturing states like Wisconsin and Ohio show approximately 60% of residents opposing the tariffs, with Michigan and Maine seeing even higher disapproval rates regarding recent tariffs on Canada.
The High Cost of Living
Political analysts attribute much of this declining support to the timing and broad scope of Trump’s second-term tariff policy. Stanley Greenberg, a veteran Democratic pollster, emphasized that the tariffs have “jumped up prices at a time of unbelievable anger about the high cost of living.” This sentiment has, according to Greenberg, “completely blown away” the earlier support for tougher trade policies.
Republican strategist Mark Graul, based in Wisconsin, echoed this, stating that the policy faces resistance “because it is being blamed for the higher prices that people are experiencing.” Alan Tonelson, a long-time supporter of import restrictions, also noted that Trump’s handling of tariffs has created unnecessary uncertainty, describing it as “an unnerving spectacle.”
Manufacturing Jobs vs. Consumer Prices
A central argument from Trump’s supporters is that tariffs boost US manufacturing. Indeed, Tonelson pointed to an increase in total manufacturing output during Trump’s second term. However, federal figures cited in the CNN analysis indicate that the number of manufacturing workers remains slightly below the level when Trump re-entered office, with 12.638 million workers compared to 12.673 million at the start of his term.
William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, highlighted the challenge of persuading the public about the long-term benefits when they are experiencing immediate upfront costs. This dilemma has provided an opening for Democrats, even those traditionally critical of free trade, to challenge the policy. Former Ohio senator Sherrod Brown stated, “These tariffs have clearly not worked. … People everywhere are paying more for everything.”
While most Republicans continue to back Trump’s tariffs, the polling data suggests a growing divide, particularly among the working-class voters whose support is crucial. The core question for Americans remains whether the potential gains in US manufacturing can ultimately outweigh the immediate burden of higher prices.