According to a new Harvard University/HarrisX poll, for the first time in four years, the majority of Americans perceive the economy as “strong.” This is despite Democrats peddling fear that Trump’s trade tariffs will harm the economy and predicting a recession.
Conducted between May 14 and May 15, 2025, the poll found that 51% of Americans viewed the economy as “Strong” while 49% perceived it as weak.
While the mainstream media reported the poll as a “slim majority,” it represented the first time Americans positively perceived the economy since Trump left office in 2021. However, President Trump managed to restore public confidence in the economy within 100 days, which will have cascading effects on spending habits and investment, further propelling growth.
The poll also asked Americans about the direction the country is taking. Of these, 42% said it was on the right track, a 16% improvement from November 2024 and a 3% increase from April 2025.
Similarly, 57% of the respondents said they do not believe the country is heading into a recession despite the Democratic naysayers insisting otherwise.
Ironically, while 57% of voters believe the left’s lies that Trump’s tariffs are harming the economy, 57% also believe that Trump made some gains, while 55% say they will play out over time. Similarly, sixty per cent (60%) of the voters interviewed believed that Trump will reach a trade deal with China.
60% of the respondents also said they believed that other countries were taking advantage of the United States. Nonetheless, barely half (46%) of the respondents support Trump tariffs, a 1% increase over April 2025, while 47% oppose them, with no detected changes.
On government expenditure, 78% support reducing government spending, with 67% supporting cutting $1 trillion, which is the new Elon Musk’s DOGE target within 2 years. Nonetheless, 59% of voters do not believe that the department would achieve those targets.
Additionally, many were unaware of how much savings DOGE had made, with 51% estimating it was below $100 billion, $60 billion below DOGE’s figure. Slightly more than half (54%) also did not support how DOGE was making the cuts.
On international trade, most voters supported strong relations with Saudi Arabia. During his visit, president Trump secured a $600 billion investment commitment from the Arab country, including $142 billion in weapon sales. However, 62% opposed Qatar’s luxury Boeing 747 gift.
Additionally, more than 8 in 10 voters supported Trump lowering the cost of prescription drugs for low-income earners.
Other Trump policies, such as the deportation of illegal immigrants and the closing of the southern border, received widespread support.
“The majority of Trump’s policies continue to see strong support, especially on immigration and government efficiency, even though there is concern Trump has exceeded guardrails with executive orders and tariffs,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “If he is able to successfully lower the price of prescription drugs and hold down the fort on inflation, he will be able to unlock 10% more of voters in his approval rating.”
