More than half of Americans say they are worse off under Trump

More than half (56%) of Americans surveyed said their financial situation has worsened since the start of Donald Trump’s second term in January 2025, according to a survey conducted by the Financial Times (FT) and research company Focaldata.

More than a quarter of the study participants said they had to cut back on basic expenses, such as food or medical care.

The FT survey was conducted online by London-based independent research agency Focaldata from 16 to 18 October. It reflects the views of 1,648 registered voters in the US and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

The poll also showed rising concerns among Americans about corruption in the Trump administration. About 69 percent of registered voters said they were "very" or "somewhat" concerned about "corruption, abuse of office or conflicts of interest." Among those who voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, almost 50% were.

In addition, nearly half of respondents believe that during Trump’s second term, corruption has become a more serious problem than under previous administrations.

According to the FT, 54 percent of those polled blame the Trump administration or congressional Republicans for the price hike. More than 40 percent said rising prices of goods and services made them more likely to vote Democrat in the upcoming midterm elections.

The midterm congressional elections will be held on November 3, 2026. U.S. citizens will re-elect 35 out of 100 senators, completely renew the House of Representatives (all 435 seats), and elect governors of 36 states.

Jeremy Ney, a professor at Columbia Business School, noted that voters’ discontent grows when they simultaneously face financial difficulties and learn about the income of government officials. “When a family reads an article about the president’s cryptocurrency income while deciding whether to delay an expensive visit to the doctor, it realizes that the system is working for someone — just not for them,” he said.

According to the FT, during Trump’s second presidential term, his family members earned at least $1 billion on various cryptocurrency projects. Some corporate donors linked to the president's family have also benefited from government policy changes or contracted government contracts.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle has denied allegations of conflict of interest. He said Trump was “acting solely in the interests of the American public” and had launched a massive crackdown on fraud in federal governments, saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

On the eve of October 24, Politico wrote that Americans of Generation Zumer (Z) faced mounting debt, high housing costs and difficulty finding work, which increased their distrust of the political system. The financial problems of young people, according to the publication, can affect the participation of young voters in the midterm elections to the US Congress in November 2026.

At the same time, in 2024, during the election campaign, Trump promised in case of his victory in the election to ensure the availability of the “American dream”. “I promise you that if Joe Biden wins this election, the middle class will lose, but if Trump wins, the middle class will win, low-income people will move toward the American dream,” he said.