Majority disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs

Washington, D.C., February 22, 2026 – A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll finds more Americans disapprove (64%) than approve (34%) of President Donald Trump’s handling of tariffs on imported goods. Trump’s approval rating on tariffs – as well as on his handling of inflation – lag behind his overall approval rating. Despite these negative ratings, Americans are split on who they trust to better handle reducing the cost of living: equal shares trust Trump (32%) and Democrats in Congress (31%), while 33% say they trust neither.

The poll was conducted prior to the February 20 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods.

The wide-ranging survey of 2,589 U.S. adults also finds that amid the continuing national debate over immigration, Americans hold mixed views about immigration policy and enforcement. Half express support for deporting all undocumented immigrants currently in the country, but there is wider opposition to current tactics being employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency primarily responsible for deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Detailed findings

1. Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs on imported goods; plurality feel U.S. economy under Trump has gotten worse.

• Views of Trump’s handling of the economy tilt negative (41% approve, 57% disapprove). Americans have more negative views of Trump’s handling of tariffs on imported goods (34% approve, 64% disapprove) and inflation (32%, 65%).
• Views of Trump’s handling of the economy and tariffs remain stable compared to previous ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos polling conducted in 2025.
• While Republicans largely approve (75%) of Trump’s handling of tariffs, majorities of Democrats (95%) and independents (72%) disapprove.
• A plurality (48%) of Americans say the economy has gotten worse since Trump became president in January 2025, compared to 29% that say it has gotten better.
• Majorities of Democrats (84%) and independents (52%) say the economy has gotten worse since Trump became president; 69% of Republicans say the economy has gotten better.
• Americans are split on which politicians they trust to best handle reducing the cost of living in the U.S.: roughly equal shares say they trust Trump (32%) and Democrats in Congress (31%); 33% say they trust neither. Just 4% say they trust both Trump and Democrats in Congress equally.

2. Americans express mixed views on immigration policy and enforcement.

• Americans are divided on the question of deporting all of the estimated 14 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., with half (50%) saying they support this policy and nearly as many (48%) saying they oppose it.
• At the same time, Americans are critical of the tactics currently being employed by ICE to enforce immigration laws. By a margin of 62% to 31%, more oppose than favor the agency’s enforcement tactics.
• Despite this, there is limited support for abolishing the agency altogether (37% support, 50% oppose).
• More broadly, 40% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of immigration, compared with 58% who disapprove. Trump’s rating on immigration has fallen 10 percentage points compared to a February 2025 Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
• Still, Americans are slightly more likely to trust Trump to do a better job of handling immigration (38%) than to trust Democrats in Congress (34%).

3. Majority view Trump as out of touch with the concerns of most Americans.

• Two in three (64%) Americans say they think Trump is out of touch with the concerns of most people in the U.S. today, compared to 35% that say he is in touch.
• Overall, 39% approve of Trump’s handling of the presidency, roughly unchanged compared to a previous ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll from October 2025 (41%).

The topline for this poll has been updated with newly released data on public approval of President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods.

About the Study

This poll was jointly sponsored and funded by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos. The poll includes a random sample of 2,589 U.S. adults. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.

The questionnaire was administered with the exact questions in the exact order as they appear in this document. Demographic questions are not shown. If a question was asked of a reduced base of the sample, a parenthetical preceding the question identifies the group asked. Phrases surrounded by parentheticals within questions indicate clauses that were randomly rotated for respondents.

Ipsos conducted sampling, interviewing and tabulation for the survey using the KnowledgePanel, a nationwide survey panel designed to be representative of the U.S. adult population. KnowledgePanel members are recruited through probability sampling methods using address-based sampling. Panel members who do not have internet access are provided with a tablet and internet service. KnowledgePanel members receive a per survey incentive, usually the equivalent of $1 (though for some it is $2) in points that can be redeemed for cash or prizes.

In this poll, invitations were sent to 3,834 panelists, resulting in 2,589 completed interviews. In quality control, 56 respondents were removed for skipping half or more of the questions for which they were eligible or for completing the survey among the fastest 1 percent of interviews.

Ipsos used probability-proportional-to-size sampling to draw a national sample of adults using the KnowledgePanel matching U.S. population benchmarks. This survey uses statistical weighting procedures to account for deviations in the survey sample from known population characteristics, which helps correct for differential survey participation and random variation in samples. The following table shows unweighted, weighted and benchmark values for weighting variables in the Feb. 12-17, 2026, Washington Post-Ipsos poll.

The following table shows unweighted, weighted and benchmark values for weighting variables:

Sources:

– Census Bureau Current Population Survey 2025 March Supplement (age by sex, race/ethnicity, education, region by metro status, household income)

– Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey (language dominance)

– Associated Press tabulation of certified results (2024 presidential vote)

Political party identification benchmarks are from the 2025 NPORS annual survey, with a midyear adjustment estimated across aggregated KnowledgePanel surveys accounting for changes in panelists’ party identification over time.

All error margins have been adjusted to account for the survey’s design effect, which is 1.09 for this survey. The design effect is a factor representing the survey’s deviation from a simple random sample and takes into account decreases in precision due to sample design and weighting procedures.

ABC News, The Washington Post and Ipsos are charter members of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, which recognizes organizations that disclose key methodological details on the research they produce.

About Ipsos

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