More Americans say the country is on the right track after tariff rollback – viewed as Trump’s ‘biggest failure’ in second term: poll

By Victor Nava

Published May 19, 2025, 7:15 p.m. ET

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Americans are more optimistic about the direction of the country and believe the economy has been stronger since President Trump eased his sweeping tariff policy, which most voters see as the biggest failure of his second term.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday found 42% of respondents believe the country is on the right track – an increase of 3 percentage points from last month.

Over half of voters (51%) also rated the US economy as being “strong,” up 5 points from April.

The uptick in optimism coincides with the Trump administration’s successful trade talks with the United Kingdom and China, which have resulted in the lowering of some tariffs – the president’s most unpopular policy.

The landmark US-UK trade deal framework brokered on May 8 will see the Trump administration eliminate tariffs on British-made airplane parts and slash levies on steel, aluminum and automobiles.

Days later, the US and China agreed to a 90-day tariff truce that brought China’s duty rate down from 145% to 30% on most goods. That agreement also included a mechanism for talks toward a permanent deal to continue.

Most voters (57%) view Trump’s tariffs as “harming the economy” and believe it’s the worst mistake of his presidency.  

“Trump’s tariffs and disturbing the economy are viewed as his biggest failures to date,” the May 14-15 survey of 1,903 registered voters determined.

The president’s tariff policy is viewed as his biggest blunder by 26% of voters, which is 9 percentage points more than those who said “making executive orders beyond his authority” was Trump’s top mistake – which came in No. 2 in the ranking.  

Thirty-one percent believe Trump has yet to make a mistake in office.

When asked if Trump would be able to make a deal with China to end the trade war, 60% of voters were confident a long-term agreement would be reached.

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“The majority of Trump’s policies continue to see strong support, especially on immigration and government efficiency, even though there is concern Trump has exceeded guardrails with executive orders and tariffs,” Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, said in a statement.

“If he is able to successfully lower the price of prescription drugs and hold down the fort on inflation, he will be able to unlock 10% more of voters in his approval rating,” Penn noted.

Trump’s approval rating sits at 47% (down 1 point from last month), with 87% of Republican voters approving and 83% of Democrats and 50% of Independents disapproving.

The president received his highest marks on immigration policy (51%) and returning the country to “its values” (51%).

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Learn more at harvardharrispoll.com

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