Trump’s tariffs and Iran war driving voter discontent: Hugo Gurdon
A recent YouGov/Economist poll indicates that President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are largely negative across most states, with only Idaho, Wyoming, and west Virginia showing net positive approval. Political analyst hugo Gurdon noted that Trump is quite unpopular,with many voters upset over rising prices for groceries and gas,which are partly attributed to tariffs implemented by Trump that have increased costs.The survey data, collected weekly from 1,500 participants, highlights that economic concerns are influencing public opinion. Gurdon also pointed out that the highest inflation occurred under President Joe Biden, but trump’s tariffs continue to contribute to financial pressure on consumers.Additionally, global tensions, particularly over Iran, have pushed energy prices higher, further adding to inflation. These economic issues are impacting the upcoming midterm elections, as Republican candidates grapple with President Trump’s unpopularity, making election strategy more complex. Gurdon mentioned that efforts to negotiate with Iran are stalled, and ending the conflict could help stabilize prices, though he considers such negotiations unlikely to succeed.
A recent YouGov/Economist poll showed President Donald Trump’s approval ratings were, in all but three states, at a net negative.
The numbers didn’t seem to surprise Washington Examiner editorial director Hugo Gurdon during his appearance on C-Span’s Washington Journal on Sunday.
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“The president is certainly very unpopular,” Gurdon said. “People are very upset about prices, grocery prices, gas prices, the price of everything. And they know that the president’s tariffs have pushed prices higher.”
The survey numbers come from YouGov’s data, which invites 1,500 members of its opt-in panel to complete an online questionnaire each week. The Economist then aggregates the data. The three states maintaining a net positive for Trump are Idaho, Wyoming, and West Virginia.
Gurdon said the biggest price increases occurred under former President Joe Biden, peaking at more than 9% in June 2022. Despite this, Trump’s tariffs are still contributing to financial strains that are being paid by U.S. consumers, Gurdon said.
“Also, of course, the Iran war has pushed prices higher because it has pushed the price of energy, specifically gasoline, higher, and that means that transportation of all goods is more expensive, and that’s pushed prices higher, too,” Gurdon said.
The midterm elections have become “unusual” because of the president’s decisions, Gurdon said.
“His job approval is something that spills very much over to the midterms because Republicans are not sure how much they want to be associated with the president,” Gurdon said. “But they know they have to get the MAGA Republicans out to vote for them, so they’re in a quandary.”
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Republicans would love to get the war over with so prices can stabilize, Gurdon said, adding that it was clear negotiations with Iran were going nowhere.
“I think it was always, frankly, unrealistic to expect [Iran] to come to any kind of negotiation settlement that they would keep,” Gurdon said.
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