Fewer Americans have faith in former President Donald Trump’s ability to handle the economy than they do Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted for the Financial Times and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, marks a strong shift in voter opinion regarding the economy and is the first of its kind to show Harris leading Trump on this campaign issue.
While 41% of Americans trust Trump on economic issues broadly, including on trade and economic relations with China, 42% believe Harris would do a better job handling the economy. This shift marks a considerable increase compared to the same poll last month.
"The fact that voters were more positive on Harris than on Biden . . . says as much about how badly Biden was doing as it does about how well Harris is doing," said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan.
Despite the shift, only 19% of voters said they believe they are better off today than they were in 2021 when President Joe Biden took office. Of those polled, 60% said Harris should either make a complete break from Biden’s economic policies or "make major changes" to his platform.
Harris received a 46% approval rating from those surveyed, slightly higher than Biden’s 41% approval.
"The poll is good news for previously-anxious Democrats, but their worries aren’t over because voters still see themselves better off with Trump as president, and most voters think of their interests first and grand policy questions second," Gordon said.
The Poll was conducted online by Democratic strategists Global Strategy Group and Republican polling firm North Star Opinion Research from Aug. 1-5. It reflects the opinions of 1,001 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.