Recent polling data indicates a sharp decline in support for President Donald Trump’s economic handling among working-class Americans, driven primarily by rising grocery costs.
According to an analysis presented Friday morning on CNN News Central by chief data analyst Harry Enten, lower-income voters—a demographic that historically favored Trump in the 2024 election—are increasingly expressing dissatisfaction with current economic conditions.
Data tracking households with annual incomes under $50,000 reveals that 82% of respondents now consider groceries to be unaffordable. Only 16% of individuals within this income bracket stated that groceries remain affordable. Across the broader American public, 66% of all respondents reported that grocery prices are unaffordable.
“The lion’s share, 82%,” Enten stated during the broadcast. “You rarely ever see 82% of any group agreeing on anything. But what you see here is that those working-class folks, those who have incomes, household incomes, under $50,000, the lion’s share, more than 4 in 5 say that groceries are unaffordable at this point.”
This shift marks a significant reversal from voter sentiment recorded just before the last presidential election. In October 2024, voters making under $50,000 trusted Trump over Kamala Harris on economic matters by a 16-point margin. Current figures show that the president’s net approval rating on the economy within this same demographic has dropped to 39 points underwater.
“We’re talking about a flip-flop here of greater than 50 points,” Enten said. “The working class have turned against Donald Trump. They simply put, don’t believe things are affordable, are taking their anger out on him.”
The swift turn in sentiment among lower-income households has raised questions among political analysts regarding the potential impact on down-ballot candidates in upcoming legislative races. Commenting on the trend, Enten noted, “You really have to wonder whether or not they’ll take out their anger on Republicans come the fall midterm elections as well.”
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