Trump’s erratic rule takes toll on Americans

Some 57% of Americans think President Donald Trump is being too erratic in his moves to shake up the U.S. economy, including his aggressive strategy to tax imports that has spooked the stock market, a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Wednesday found.

A third of respondents said Trump’s actions were not too erratic and 11% were unsure or did not answer. About one in three Republicans said Trump’s actions were too erratic.

To be sure, 79% of Republicans in the two-day poll said they agreed with a statement that Trump’s actions on the economy “will pay off in the long run,” a sign that some people in Trump’s party aren’t fond of his style of governing but agree with the substance of his policies. Forty-one percent of respondents overall – and just 5% if Democrats – said Trump’s policies would pay off eventually.

Read also: Many Americans concerned about Trump’s economic moves

Some 70% of respondents in the poll – including nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 Republicans – said they expected higher tariffs will make groceries and other regular purchases more expensive.
Some 61% of respondents in the poll said Trump’s top priority should be reining in rising prices.

The poll surveyed 1,422 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error for all respondents of 3 percentage points.
As the result of the poll came out Donald Trump threatened to escalate a global trade war with further tariffs on European Union goods, as major U.S. trading partners said they would retaliate for trade barriers already erected by the U.S. president.

Just hours after Trump’s 25% duties on all U.S. steel and aluminum imports took effect, Trump said he would impose additional penalties if the EU follows through with its plan to enact counter tariffs on some U.S. goods next month.

“Whatever they charge us, we’re charging them,” Trump told reporters at the White House.