Trump is in big trouble

US President Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped slightly in recent days as more Americans worry about the direction of the US economy as the new leader threatens tariffs on a number of countries, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

The six-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, found 44 percent of respondents approved of the job Trump is doing as president, compared with 45 percent in a Jan. 24-26 Reuters/Ipsos poll. Trump's approval rating was 47 percent in the Jan. 20-21 poll, which was conducted hours after the Republican returned to the White House.

The share of Americans who disapprove of his presidency has risen sharply, to 51 percent in the latest poll, compared to 41 percent immediately after he took office.

Trump enjoys relatively high approval ratings for his immigration policies, with 47 percent of respondents supporting his approach, which includes promises to speed up deportations of illegal immigrants in the country. The share has changed little since January.

But the share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the Jan. 24-26 survey. Public approval of Trump's economic management fell to 39 percent from 43 percent in the previous poll.

A pillar of Trump's political strength is the public belief that his policies will be good for the economy, and his approval rating for the economy remains significantly higher than the final reading of his predecessor in office, Democrat Joe Biden, who ended his term with a 34 percent approval rating for the economy. However, Trump's approval rating for the economy is well below the 53% he had in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in February 2017, the first full month of his first term as US president.

In the latest poll, just 32 percent of respondents approved of Trump's performance on inflation, a potential early sign of disappointment with the Republican's performance on a key economic issue after several years of rising prices weakened Biden ahead of last year's presidential election. Trump defeated Biden's Vice President Kamala Harris in the Electoral College and narrowly won the election.

Tanjug/AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

A recent report from the US Labor Department showed that consumer prices rose the most in nearly 1-1/2 years in January, with Americans facing higher costs for a range of goods and services. Other economic data showed that US households expect inflation to pick up after Trump's February 1 announcement of high tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada.

Although the tariffs on Mexico and Canada have been delayed until March, Trump has set March 12 as the start date for other tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and has directed his staff to devise global reciprocal tariffs.

In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, 54 percent of respondents said they were against new tariffs on imported goods from other countries, while 41 percent of them were in favor. Increasing tariffs on Chinese goods had a higher level of support, with 49% in favor and 47% against.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online, polled 4,145 American adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points either way.