New Poll Shows Nearly 25 Percent of Republicans Oppose Trump’s Tariff Plan

A new poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that nearly 25 percent of Republicans oppose President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.

Why It Matters

Trump first launched his tariff threats against Canada, China and Mexico over claims of record amounts of fentanyl flooding into the country from both the U.S. northern and southern borders. The Canadian government repeatedly rebuked the president amid his ongoing commentary, and also threatened American imports.

In a news briefing last week, Trump announced a new host of tariffs on numerous trading partners in what he called “Liberation Day.” The announcement included a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports.

Last week, Wall Street saw its worst week in five years in response to the news, as economists warn of a potential recession if conditions do not improve.

What To Know

In the Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, 73 percent of Americans expect prices to rise under Trump’s tariff plan. Four percent said prices would fall, according to the study.

The poll also showed that 57 percent of Americans overall oppose the tariffs while 39 percent support them. Twenty-four percent of Republicans denounced the economic move by the president while 73 percent backed it. More independents opposed the tariffs than embraced them, with 57 percent against and 41 percent in favor of the levies.

When asked if they agreed with the poll statement, “any short-term economic pain is worth it to make the U.S. stronger in the long term,” half of respondents believed it’s worth it, including nearly all Republicans. The other half, including mostly all Democrats, disagreed.

The poll was taken from April 4 to April 6 among 1,027 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of about 3 percent.

Newsweek reached out to pollster Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University, via text for comment.

President Donald Trump is seen displaying a signed executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2 in…

What People Are Saying

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: “Trump’s own trade rep couldn’t explain the logic behind the on-again, off-again tariffs wreaking havoc on our economy. If Republicans care about protecting our jobs and lowering costs, they should all vote for our bipartisan resolution to end Trump’s tariff chaos.”

Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts posted to X on Tuesday: “Instead of talking about how Trump’s tariffs are going to screw America’s farmers and families, Republicans want to talk about cutting food benefits for hungry people so they can give tax breaks to billionaires.”

Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, posted to X on Sunday: “No President in history understands tariffs and the market like @POTUS.”

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said on X last week: “This is a fantastic explanation from @VP on exactly why we need Trump’s Tariffs! We are in so much debt, an almost inconceivable number, we cannot afford to be the world’s piggy bank. We need to start making things in America, reopen factories, and bring jobs back to communities decimated by globalist policies. It’s time to Make America Wealthy Again!”