President Donald Trump attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, May 24, 2025. REUTERS Nathan Howard
As President Donald Trump continues to flub his handling of the main issue currently motivating voters, CNN reported that "cracks are starting to show" in his own base, per the findings of their new poll, which found a notable decline in his support from Republicans.
During the Tuesday morning broadcast of CNN's News Central, host Katie Bolduan shared the findings from the network's latest poll on voter sentiments pertaining to the economy. The findings, she explained, reinforced the "deep anxiety" over the cost of living that voters have been venting about for months, much to Trump's annoyance, marking another blow to what was once considered his issue, the one many believe got him reelected in the first place.
"The numbersrevealing a deep anxiety aboutaffordability," Bolduan said. "That word andgrowing warning signs for President Trump. Seventy-three percent describingeconomic conditions right now,today, as poor in the country.That's not a good outlook onwhat was once considered, ofcourse, President Trump'sstrongest issue. His approvalrating on the economy has fallento a new career low [of 30 percent]. Americans are worried, full stopare worried, full stop, worriedabout paying their bills,especially surprise ones."
Roughly two-thirds of the poll respondents said that they could not "comfortably afford" an emergency expense of $1,000.
"On this mostcentral issue of just being ableto pay for everyday life, cracksare starting to show among thepresident's base," she added.
"Me and my husband work 12-hourdays, 5 to 6 days a week, and wehave to decide if we're goingto buy groceries or pay for gas," one respondent, a Republican woman in her 20s living in Ohio, told CNN.
"Idon't know how anyone from mygeneration will ever do anythingexcept rent," another respondent, a Republican man in his 20s living in Georgia, added.
CNN's Washington bureau chief, David Chalian, said that this "bleak" and "pessimistic" outlook for the economy has been holding steady for "five years running now," ever since the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"And even while some structuralthings of the economy arestrong, people are not feelingit in terms of what they'repaying and in terms of theirfeeling secure in their personaleconomy," Chalian explained. "You noted that a top-line approval number forTrump's handling of theeconomy, 30 percent approve. That is arecord low across his entiretime in public life. As yousuggested, this used to be oneof his strong suits. He used tooutperform his approval rating on the issue of the economy.
He continued: "That is a low. And whythis matters, economy and costof living, 55 percent of respondents inour poll say that is the mostimportant issue facing thecountry. Do you see here?Nothing else comes even close toit. This is where the majorityof Americans are in terms ofimportance of issues in theirmind."
Chalian showed a ranking of issues along with the percentage of respondent who called it their top issue. The economy topped the list at 55 percent, trailed distantly by concerns about the health of democracy at 19 percent. Other issues like immigration, healthcare and crime did not top two digits.
Chalian also noted that Trump had fallen below 50 percent approval in his own party for his handling of gas prices, something he was not able to recall ever happening before.