Voters prefer Democrats over Republicans on economy for first time in a decade - poll
The Republican edge on the economy has steadily deteriorated as US household finances suffered from soaring gasoline prices following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Americans have chosen Democrats over Republicans as the better stewards of the nation's economy, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. This shift in voter preference comes as President Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 35%, highlighting how his handling of the economy, particularly the surge in energy prices stemming from the Iran conflict, may impact his party's prospects in the upcoming November midterm elections.
The poll, conducted from Wednesday to Monday, indicates that 37% of registered voters believe the Democratic Party has a superior approach to the U.S. economy, compared to 36% who favor the Republican Party. Another 27% remain undecided or assert that an alternative party would perform better. This marks a significant departure from the past, as Republicans held the economic advantage throughout Trump's first term and for all four years of Democratic President Joe Biden's presidency, a trend that only recently reached parity.
The GOP's economic edge has steadily eroded during Trump's current term, with some seats becoming neck-and-neck as soaring gasoline prices, driven by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and subsequent war, have squeezed Americans' wallets. Despite claiming credit for dismantling Iran's nuclear program and weakening its regional threats, the conflict has driven up gasoline prices by over 25% since the war's inception, with the average American now paying an extra dollar per gallon at the pump.
The poll, comprising 4,505 US adults and boasting a margin of error of 2 percentage points, also reveals that 42% of registered voters would back a Democrat in congressional elections and 37% would opt for a Republican if the contest were held today. Notably, independents in the poll favored Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 12 percentage points.
With only about three dozen House of Representatives seats and around eight Senate seats expected to be competitive in the November 3 elections, the Republican Party is facing a challenging uphill battle to defend its narrow congressional majority.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
