Exit polls: 60% blame Trump for inflation ... Cost-of-living concerns divided voters

[Financial News] In the U.S. midterm elections, six in 10 voters blamed President Donald Trump for soaring prices. Analysts say the cost of living may have been a key factor that divided voters in this election.
According to preliminary results from the AP Voter Poll released by the Associated Press on the 3rd (local time), about 60% of voters said prices higher than usual were “because of President Trump’s policies.” That was more than the share who said they were due to “factors beyond President Trump’s control.”

In the CNN poll, nearly nine in 10 said the cost of living was a “decisive” or major factor in their vote. About three-quarters of voters said the economy was in poor shape, and roughly two-thirds said President Trump had made the economy worse.
The economy was also named the most important issue. In the AP poll, about 40% cited the economy as their top issue, while about 30% named democracy. Far fewer cited crime, health care or immigration.
The parties’ reputations on the economy also took a hit. In the CNN poll, Democrats narrowly led Republicans as the party best able to handle the economy. CNN called it a “remarkable figure,” noting that Republicans had led on this issue in past elections.
Dissatisfaction with prices translated into low ratings for President Trump. In the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) exit poll, 38% approved of his job performance and 62% disapproved. By the standard of Election Day exit polls, this was the lowest rating for a sitting president since George W. Bush in 2008.
In the CNN poll, about half of those who disapproved said they did so “strongly.” About one-fifth of voters who voted for President Trump in the 2024 election also disapproved of his job performance.
President Trump urged his supporters to vote, saying, “Think of me as being on the ballot.” In the NBC poll, 59% of voters said Trump had influenced their vote. But in the CNN poll, fewer than one-fifth said they had voted for the House to support President Trump.

Dissatisfaction with the state of the country was also widespread. In the AP poll, about three-quarters of voters said they felt “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things were going in the country. About 70% said Congress should do more to check the president.
In the CNN poll, a majority of voters said the U.S. taking military action against Iran was “the wrong decision.” A majority also said the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown had gone “too far.”
The exit poll was conducted by polling firm SSRS on behalf of seven media organizations, including the Associated Press, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MS NOW and NBC. It surveyed about 100,000 voters by combining online and telephone polls conducted before the election with Election Day exit polls at polling places in 15 states. Preliminary results will be adjusted to match the actual vote count once counting is complete.
For Democrats to become the majority party, they need a net gain of four seats in Senate races across 35 states. In the House, where all 435 seats are up for election, 218 seats constitute a majority, and Democrats are widely expected to retake control. The early picture is expected to emerge as votes are counted in the Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia.


[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Affairs Specialist Reporter