Only 19 percent of Americans think Trump's tariffs will help them financially

Most Americans aren't so sure that tariffs will bring positive change.

A poll released Friday by The Associated Press found that fewer than half of Americans expect recent tariffs to help the economy, local communities, or their own families. Rather, many believe tariffs will likely bring negative effects.

President Trump has been ordering tariffs on dozens of products, particularly escalating a trade war with China. The tariffs have targeted billions of dollars worth of goods, and Trump has said he won't back down until the U.S. is able to renegotiate trade deals. "Tariffs are the greatest!" he trumpeted on Twitter last month.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Americans largely disagree. The AP survey found that 35 percent of those polled think the tariffs will definitely or probably hurt them financially, while only 19 percent say they will likely help. There was more of a split when it came to evaluating the tariffs' effect on the national economy: Forty percent said they would help, and 44 percent said they would hurt.

Three-quarters of Republicans support Trump's approach to trade with China, though Americans on either side of the aisle worry about increasing prices on consumer goods. While Trump's handling of the economy is among the most popular aspects of his presidency, about 60 percent of Americans disapprove of his trade negotiations with other countries.

The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,055 adults by phone between Aug. 16-20. The margin of error is 4.2 percentage points. See more results at The Associated Press.