45 Polls Showing that Voters Hate Tariffs Ahead of 2026 Midterms

We Pay the Tariffs today updated its comprehensive polling report to congressional offices documenting 45 national and state-level polls conducted over the past 18 months that demonstrate the deep and growing unpopularity of tariffs among American voters. The report is being shared with offices on both sides of the aisle ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The full report is available HERE

As the White House wages a tariff battle with our northern neighbors (and the rest of the world), the polling data paints an unmistakable picture: tariffs remain deeply unpopular across party lines, demographics, and geography. From Fox News to the New York Times, from Gallup to Pew Research, the findings all show that a majority of Americans oppose tariffs and believe they are driving up the cost of living.

Recent key polling findings include:

• 62% of Americans think that Section 338 tariffs on $28 billion of Canadian goods will raise prices (Harvard CAPS Harris, August 2026)

• Only 20% of Americans support the U.S. placing tariffs on Canada (IPSOS, August 2026)

• Over 70% of Americans believe that President Trump’s tariffs have raised prices for the things they buy, including 46% who believe they raised prices “a lot” (YouGov, July 2026)

• 54% of voters in battleground Senate races disapprove of tariffs (NYT/Siena, July 2026)

• Only 32% of registered voters approve of President Trump’s tariffs policies (Marquette University, June 2026)

  
  

The report spans polls from 31 unique sources including YouGov, ABC News/IPSOS, Pew Research Center, Fox News, NPR/PBS/Marist, the New York Times/Siena, Gallup, Harvard CAPS Harris, and others. It includes national polls as well as state-level surveys from Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia—many of which are critical battleground states heading into 2026.

The 45 Polls Featured in the Report:

• YouGov, August 2026 – 58% of Americans oppose raising tariffs on Canada

• Harvard CAPS Harris, August 2026 – 62% of Americans think that Section 338 tariffs on $28 billion of Canadian goods will raise prices

• IPSOS, August 2026 – Only 20% of Americans support the U.S. placing tariffs on Canada

• YouGov, July 2026 – Over 70% of Americans believe that President Trump’s tariffs have raised prices for the things they buy

• NYT/Siena, July 2026 – 45% of voters in battleground Senate races strongly disapprove of tariffs

• Harvard CAPS Harris, July 2026 – 61% of Americans disapprove of a universal 15% tariff

• YouGov, July 2026 – More than 3x as many Americans want tariffs reduced as increased

• Marquette Law, June 2026 – Only 32% of registered voters approve of President Trump’s tariffs policies

• Harvard CAPS Harris, May 2026 – 63% of registered voters disapprove of President Trump’s handling of tariffs

• Financial Times, May 2026 – Only one in four voters said that the president’s trade policies have helped the economy

• CNN/SSRS, May 2026 – 65% of U.S. adults thing that tariffs have a negative effect on their financial system

• Forbes/Harris X, May 2026 – 57% of U.S. adults disapprove of the president’s tariffs and trade policy

• Quinnipiac University, April 2026 – 72% of voters think that tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the short term

• The Harris Poll, March 2026 – 64% of Republicans believe that Trump’s tariffs have led to higher prices

• YouGov, March 2026 – 55% of adults disapprove of the way President Trump is handling tariffs

• Stockton University, February 2026 – Two-thirds of New Jersey voters think that tariffs implemented by the Trump Administration have led to higher prices for them and their families

• YouGov, February 2026 – 60% of Americans approve of the Supreme Court striking down most Trump tariffs

• ABC News/IPSOS, February 2026 – 64% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs

• Pew Research Center, February 2026 – 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s increased tariffs

• NPR/PBS/Marist, February 2026 – 58% of registered voters said tariffs hurt the U.S. economy

• The Economist/YouGov, February 2026 – 51% of Americans say tariffs should decrease

• Fox News, February 2026 – Only 37% of voters approve of President Trump’s tariffs

• NYT/Siena, February 2026 – 55% of Americans oppose tariffs imposed by President Trump

• Marquette Law, January 2026 – 62% of adults disapprove of the way President Trump is handling tariffs

• CFR/Morning Consult, January 2026 – More than 65% of voters said tariffs made everyday items less affordable

• Harvard CAPS Harris, January 2026 – 51% of voters oppose tariffs on goods from China, Mexico, and Canada

• Politico, December 2025 – Only 22% of Trump voters said tariffs are helping the economy now and in the long term

• Texas Politics Project, December 2025 – 68% of Texas voters are concerned about U.S. tariff policy

• The Washington Post, November 2025 – 6 in 10 Americans said tariffs contribute to inflation and harm the economy

• NBC News, November 2025 – Two thirds of registered voters say the administration has fallen short on the economy

• Small Business Majority, November 2025 – Nearly half of small business owners increased prices due to tariffs

• Detroit Regional Chamber, October 2025 – 71.5% of Michigan voters say they’re paying more due to tariffs

• Bowling Green State University, October 2025 – 60% of Ohio voters oppose Trump’s tariff policies

• Morning Consult/NRF, May 2025 – 56% of voters believe tariffs will negatively impact small businesses

• Noble Predictive Insights, May 2025 – 51% of Arizona voters said tariffs hurt the economy

• Meredith College Poll, April 2025 – 53% of North Carolina voters doubt tariffs will have a positive economic effect

• AJC, April 2025 – 52.3% of Georgia voters oppose tariffs on foreign goods

• IPSOS, April 2025 – Three in four Americans say tariffs should be targeted, not universal

• Gallup, April 2025 – 89% of adults think tariffs are likely to result in higher prices

• NYT/Siena, April 2025 – 55% of Americans oppose tariffs imposed by President Trump

• CNN/SSRS, April 2025 – 55% of Americans said the President’s tariff actions have been bad policy

• Elon University, February 2025 – 50% of Americans anticipated tariffs would have negative consequences for small businesses

About We Pay the Tariffs

We Pay the Tariffs is a grassroots coalition of over 1,200 small businesses that advocates against tariffs. Members include restaurants, manufacturers, retailers, game companies, importers, and other enterprises from every U.S. region. The vast majority of members are micro businesses with 10 or fewer employees. For more information: www.wepaythetariffs.com