President Donald Trump on the south lawn of the White House on April 28, 2025. (ANDREW THOMAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Just 34% of Americans described themselves as enthusiastic or optimistic about the economy right now, while 66% of respondents said they were pessimistic or afraid. The poll found 69% of Americans believe it is very or somewhat likely the U.S. economy will go into a recession in the next year.
According to the CNN poll, 75% of Americans believe Trump's policies on tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the short term, while just 12% said they would help in the short term. Meanwhile, 53% of Americans believe Trump's policies on tariffs will hurt in the long term, while 34% of Americans say they will help in the long term.
A separate poll, conducted by NPR/PBS News/Marist from April 21-23, found 45% of Americans give Trump a failing grade as he celebrates his 100th day in office. The pollster said that figure was "driven mainly by Democrats (80%)."
That survey found 55% of respondents disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, including 88% of Democrats, 59% of independents, and 17% of Republicans.
With just 39% of Americans approving of his handling of the economy, Trump's overall approval rating sits at 42% – down from the 45% who approved of the job he was doing in March, according to NPR/PBS News/Marist.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles, the 2025 Super Bowl champions, at the White House on April 28, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
As for the trade deals, Leavitt said the president is working to right the wrongs "of the mess that he inherited" from the Biden administration, as well as a "mess that has been created for the past four decades that has sold out the middle class."
"Today, President Trump wants to restore the golden age, and it's a process to do that. And that process is underway," Leavitt said.
Bessent said he was working with Republican leadership in the House and the Senate on a new bill that would make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and hopefully quell some of the uncertainty in the markets as a result.
"I think one thing that has been a little disconcerting for the market is, you know, President Trump creates what I would call strategic uncertainty in the negotiations. So he is more concerned about getting the best possible trade deals we have for the American people. You know, we had four years of bad deals for decades," Bessent said. "We are going to the unwind those and make them fair.… We've created a process."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I think the aperture of uncertainty will be narrowing and as we start moving forward with announcing deals, then there will be certainty. But, you know, certainty is not necessarily a good thing in negotiating," he added.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-poll-numbers-economy-fall-during-trade-fight-surveys-find