How do Americans feel about President Donald Trump’s tariffs? It’s hard to say, because it really depends on how you ask the question. However, they are confident that the U.S. will conclude a tariff deal with the European Union, just as it did with China, data from the latest I&I/TIPP Poll show.
Voters seem to have a kind of love-hate relationship with Trump’s taxes imposed on imports, even as a means of encouraging more domestic production and shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.
In the latest national online I&I/TIPP Poll, taken from May 28-30, we asked a number of trade-related questions, beginning with: “Do you support or oppose placing tariffs on foreign goods if the goal is to protect American jobs and industries?”
Couched that way, a solid 53% of American adults said they either would “strongly support” (26%) or “somewhat support” (27%) tariffs on imports, if it protected jobs and industries.
Of the remainder, 36% said they would either “strongly oppose” (19%) or “somewhat oppose” (17%) tariffs, while 11% were not sure.
As is often the case, the political differences were sharp.
Democrats showed only mild backing (36% support, 54% oppose) for tariffs to protect jobs and industries, compared to stronger backing from Republicans (75% support, 17% oppose) and independents (46% support, 38% oppose).
Intriguingly, this result reverses the long-term pattern of Republican Party support for free trade (as measured by lower overall trade barriers, including lower tariffs), versus Democrats’ traditional support for managed trade (including quotas and tariffs).
Is this reversal just the Trump effect? That is, for Democrats, “If Trump is for it, I must be against it?” Or has there really been an ideological realignment?
The answer may be a bit of both. While Trump does have high negatives from Democrats on many issues, he has also poached working-class votes from Dems by vowing to help depressed industrial-belt economies by imposing tariffs in order to boost investment in the U.S.
As a non-doctrinaire politician, Trump appeals to a powerful strain of American economic pragmatism, something he shares with many Americans.
For instance, among self-described conservatives, 46% said benefits of higher tariffs outweigh the costs, while just 13% of moderates and 14% of liberals agreed. So, yes, there has been a realignment of sorts.
But conservative intellectuals still regard tariffs and other trade controls with suspicion if not outright hostility.
As economists Michael Bordo and Mickey Levy recently wrote: “History is full of evidence that tariffs harm economic performance.”
Meanwhile, I&I/TIPP changed the wording for a second question: “Tariffs can raise prices on imported goods for American consumers. Which of the following best reflects your view?”
Only 25% agreed that “The benefits of tariffs are worth the higher prices,” while a solid majority of 56% sided with “The higher prices hurt working families and outweigh the benefits.” Just 8% answered “I don’t think tariffs affect prices much,” and 11% were not sure.
So the public seems to have a bit of a split personality when it comes to tariffs. Americans strongly support (53%) imposing tariffs to save industries and jobs, but at the same time 56% believe that higher prices from tariffs hurt working families and outweigh whatever benefits there are.
I&I/TIPP also asked voters how they view ongoing tariff-trade talks with China and the European Union.
Just 11 days after the I&I/TIPP Poll concluded on May 30, Trump announced a deal with China that would put a 55% tariff on all Chinese imported goods, and a 10% tariff on U.S. goods sold in China.
“OUR DEAL IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME,” wrote Trump on Truth Social on June 11.
So, voters in the I&I/TIPP Poll foresaw the successful conclusion of a U.S.-China deal. Sort of.
Of those who were asked “How confident are you that the administration will successfully negotiate a tariff deal with China?” 48% responded they were either “very” (20%) or “somewhat” (28%) confident, versus 39% who said they were “not very” (22%) or “not confident at all” (17%). Another 13% weren’t sure.
How about the important trade talks ongoing with the EU? They have yet to end, but voters appear even more sanguine than they were about talks with China.
A majority of 51% said they thought U.S.-EU trade talks would end with a deal, while 35% said they wouldn’t.
Are they right? Recent bullish assessments over Trump trade talks made recently by EU officials point that way.
For instance, EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis recently said talks were “making progress,” but warned that the EU will be “ready to take measures to protect our economic interests and our businesses should we not be able to find this solution.”
Still, the EU has been sounding more positive in recent weeks, as incoming U.S. data show little inflation from tariffs so far, and even the World Bank has been forced to admit that global trade is not “a level playing field.”
As noted above, just over half of all Americans expect a deal to be done. Maybe they believe the same man who wrote the best-selling book “The Art Of The Deal,” and then won the presidency twice, will also be able to successfully close the deal in his trade talks.
I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past six presidential elections.
Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Putin Blasts NATO For Ignoring Russia’s Security Concerns - TIPP Insights
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of disregarding Russia’s repeated warnings about alliance expansion, saying Moscow was “told where to go” when it raised objections.
Speaking after this week’s NATO summit, Putin said Russia had consistently emphasized that no country’s security should come at the expense of another’s. “Yet, in practice, one NATO expansion after another,” he said. “No one bothered to listen.”
2. North Korea May Send More Troops To Russia By August, South Korea Says - RFA
North Korea may deploy more troops to Russia as early as July or August to aid in its war against Ukraine, with recruitment efforts already underway for another wave of military support to Moscow, South Korean intelligence told lawmakers.
Last week, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decided to send 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 sappers, or combat engineers, to support demining and reconstruction efforts in the Kursk border region, according to Russian state media Tass and RIA Novosti.
3. U.S. Ambassador To Russia Leaves Moscow - Reuters
Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, is leaving Moscow, her embassy said, noting she had served through one of the most strained periods in relations between Moscow and Washington. Her successor has not been publicly named.
The departure of a career diplomat appointed under the administration of former president Joe Biden comes as Russia and the United States discuss a potential reset in their ties which sharply deteriorated after Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022.
4. Iran Admits U.S. Strikes Caused 'Significant Damage' To Nuclear Sites - UPI
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that while the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran was still assessing the extent of the damage, it was undeniable that the losses were substantial and that the country's nuclear facilities "have been seriously damaged."
The admission by Araghchi in an interview with Iranian state television came amid conflicting reports on the efficacy of the unprecedented military action launched by the United States against three nuclear sites on June 21.
5. Trump Halts Iran Sanctions Relief After Ayatollah Declares 'Victory' - TIPP Insights
In a post on Truth Social, Trump rejected the Ayatollah’s remarks as a “lie,” calling Iran a “war-torn” and “burned out” nation whose nuclear facilities were “obliterated.”
Trump claimed he personally halted a final Israeli airstrike on Tehran that could have caused mass casualties. “I saved him from a very ugly and ignomious death,” Trump wrote, adding that Iran responded with “anger, hatred, and disgust.” He said this prompted him to “immediately drop all work on sanction relief.”
6. China, U.S. Confirm Trade Deal Framework Reached - UPI
The confirmation comes hours after President Donald Trump remarked during a press conference that "We just signed with China yesterday," without further explanation.
He was speaking about trade deals with foreign nations and said one with India may be on the horizon. The statement from Beijing said the two sides held trade talks in London on June 9 and 10 and they "reached a principled agreement on a framework" for a deal that will see China approve export applications for controlled items, while the United States will lift what it called "a series of restrictive measures previously imposed on China."
7. Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Party To Disband Under Pressure From Beijing - RFA
The League of Social Democrats (LSD), a pro-democracy party with a 19-year history, has announced it will hold a press conference Sunday to announce its disbandment, signaling the disappearance of pro-democracy parties from Hong Kong’s political landscape.
Founded in 2006, LSD’s slogan was “No resistance, no change.” A source said that LSD was warned several times, beginning in April, that it must dissolve before July 1 or risk being forcibly disbanded.
8. China Tightens EV Battery Safety Rules, Led By CATL And BYD - Nikkei Asia
China's electric vehicle industry is rushing to comply with new national safety standards for EV batteries.
The government will require safeguards to prevent a fire or explosion for at least two hours after the failure of an EV battery cell. This revision in the standards, the first in five years, takes effect in July 2026.
9. Germany Seeks To Block Chinese DeepSeek AI Over Privacy - UPI
German officials raised the alarm over the spying capabilities of Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Company, calling on Apple and Google to consider blocking access to the app.
Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Meike Kamp said in a statement, the watchdog believes DeepSeek is illegally sending user data to China. Germany is the latest country to raise concerns over DeepSeek's data practices, after Italian officials earlier this year called on that country's government to block the Chinese AI company's access to Italy.
10. Japan, China Firms Boost Lobbying Spending In Trump's 2nd Term - Nikkei Asia
Japanese companies have increased spending on lobbying in the U.S., part of a wider trend that has seen lobbying expenditures rise 8% year-on-year early in President Donald Trump's second term and spike nearly 50% compared with the January-March period in his first term.
Overall lobbying spending in January-March reached $1.2 billion, higher than the first quarter of the annual-record-setting year of 2024. Japanese companies in the industries of automobiles, electronics, chemicals, steel, and internet and communications spent a combined $7.29 million in January-March, up 30% year-on-year.
11. India Calls For 'Permanent Solution' In China Border Dispute - D.W.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made the comments in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defense ministers' meeting in China's Qingdao.
The border between the two neighbors, called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh on the western side to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. The largely un-demarcated frontier is the longest disputed land border in the world, spanning about 2,167 miles.
12. Trump Says Ending Trade Talks With Canada ‘Immediately’ - AFP
President Donald Trump said that he is calling off trade negotiations with Canada immediately, citing its digital services tax and adding that Ottawa will learn of their tariff rate within a week.
“Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
13. Seoul Asks North Korea For Advance Notice Of Dam Release - UPI
South Korea's Unification Ministry asked North Korea to give advance notice before releasing water from a dam across the border on the Imjin River, citing safety concerns for residents living in nearby areas.
Chang said that the dam issue is directly related to the life and safety of residents in border areas. She noted that an unannounced discharge from the North's Hwanggang Dam in September 2009 led to damage that killed six South Korean citizens.
14. Rwanda, DR Congo Sign Peace Deal In Us After Rebel Sweep - AFP
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas.
The two foreign ministers signed the deal brokered by the United States, Qatar and the African Union in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who acknowledged there was “more work to be done” but said the deal will let people “now have dreams and hopes for a better life.”
15. Microsoft Shuts Down Iconic 'Blue Screen Of Death' - D.W.
The "Blue Screen of Death" or Blue Screen error was displayed if a serious problem caused Windows to shut down or restart unexpectedly to prevent data loss.
The company said it is "streamlining" what users experience when confronted with "unexpected restarts" that lead to disruptions. The steps entail revamping the error screen that greeted users — often frustratingly so — for more than 40 years. The new error message has a much more condensed text displayed across a black backdrop.
16. Most Kids Don't Need Overnight Care After Allergic Reactions - HealthDay News
Many kids are spending a lot of unnecessary time under observation in a hospital following a sudden allergic emergency, a new study concludes.
About 17% of kids are admitted for overnight observation following a scary allergic reaction to food, medicine or insect bites, researchers reported. But 95% of children treated for allergic reactions can be safely discharged within two hours after receiving a dose of epinephrine, according to results published in The Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health.
17. Gun Suicide Crisis Grows In U.S., Hitting Record Levels - UPI
Gun-related suicides in the U.S. reached record highs for the third straight year in 2023, a new report on gun violence says.
About 27,300 gun-related deaths -- 58% of all gun deaths -- were suicides in 2023, according to research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The increase in gun-related suicides has occurred even as firearm homicides have declined, researchers noted in their report, Gun Violence in the United States 2023: Examining the Gun Suicide Epidemic.
