A September Reuters/Ipsos poll showed promises to raise tariffs on imported goods are creating an advantage for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ahead of the November election.
The figures from the new poll illustrate Trump’s economic advantage over vice-presidential rival Kamala Harris, who has also promised to cut taxes. Despite, voters credit the Republican with reducing the $35 trillion national debt.
Some 56 per cent of registered voters in the 11-12 September poll said they would be more likely to support a candidate who supports a new 10 per cent tariff, or tax, on all imports, as well as a 60 per cent tariff on imports from China. By comparison, 41 per cent said they were less likely to support a candidate who joined the proposal.
The poll details Trump’s strength on the key issue of the US economy. Carleen Bowman, a polling expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, claimed the economic issue is what creates a very close contest between the two candidates. Trump’s advantage stems from the perception that the economy excelled during his administration.
The US economy by many measures has excelled during the Trump administration, fuelled by tax cuts for consumers. Unemployment was at its lowest level in decades, although government debt growth exploded during the pandemic. Plus, among voters surveyed, 47 per cent said Trump was more likely to prioritise creating a good climate for business, compared to 37 per cent who chose Harris.
Despite, voters said Harris was more likely to prioritise providing affordable health care for people and building bridges and roads. Harris had a 1 percentage point advantage – 43 per cent to 42 per cent – when voters were asked who would seek to create “an economic climate that is good for me and my family.”
Trump had an advantage on inflation, which rose under Biden in 2021 and 2022. Some 43 per cent of voters in the poll said Trump was more likely to lower the prices of everyday things like groceries and gasoline, compared with 36 per cent who picked Harris.
The poll collected online responses from 1,405 registered voters with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
