Americans are growing ever more uneasy about Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy, despite the former president’s fervent reassurances.
A fresh survey by the Harris Poll reveals that, out of a list of pressing issues including inflation, healthcare, and immigration, tariffs rank as a top concern for 72% of respondents — a sizeable jump from 61% recorded in mid-January.
Trump’s sweeping trade measures have escalated substantially in recent weeks. Since returning to the White House, he has imposed an additional 20% tariff on Chinese imports and hiked taxes on steel and aluminium shipped to the United States. Next month, the administration plans to introduce even more stringent measures: a wave of so-called “reciprocal” tariffs targeting goods from around the globe, plus universal levies on imports from Canada and Mexico.
The White House continues to argue that higher tariffs will re-shore American jobs and ultimately boost wages, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick going so far as to say a possible recession would be “worth it”. However, scepticism remains high among US voters, with 66% convinced that any economic benefits gained from tariffs could take years to materialise.
Unsurprisingly, the nation is split along political lines. Republicans report being less alarmed by the possibility of recession and higher prices for imported goods, whereas Democrats and independents are notably more anxious. Only a third of Democrats and around 40% of independents believe tariffs on Canada and Mexico are justified, compared with an overwhelming majority of Republicans who back them.
Inflation and the general cost of living remain dominant worries across all political affiliations. More than 80% of Americans — including 82% of Republicans, 91% of Democrats and 88% of independents — say they are worried about affordability. Escalating trade tensions have already prompted retaliatory measures from key US trading partners. Ontario threatened to hit American electricity exports with tariffs last week, prompting Trump to double levies on Canadian steel and aluminium to 50%. Although Ontario later backed down, Trump’s readiness to escalate has stirred further unease both at home and abroad.
Likewise, when the EU responded to American duties by slapping a 50% tax on US bourbon, Trump threatened a 200% tariff on European alcohol imports. The result has been a volatile period on Wall Street, where a spate of recent economic data showing stable job and price growth has jostled with fresh investor fears of a looming slowdown.
Still, one point unites Americans of different persuasions: a majority (59%) believe that tariffs will be short-lived. “Most Americans are of the sentiment that ‘this too shall pass’,” notes John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll. “But there’s a growing conviction that, even if these trade measures are rolled back soon, the impact on the broader US economy could be unpredictable and long-lasting.”
