WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Askume) – Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to raise tariffs on imported goods, especially from China, but he received less support from U.S. voters than his vice-presidential rival.A new Askume/Ipsos poll puts them ahead on the economyKamala Harris .
Both the Republican former president and his Democratic rivals have vowed to seek tax cuts if they win the Nov. 5 election . But voters also see Trump as more likely to reduce the $35 trillion national debt — even though independent economic forecasters say his proposals would have the opposite effect.
The poll, conducted Sept. 11-12, found that 56% of registered voters said they would be more likely to support a candidate who supported a 10% tariff or tax on all imported goods, while 60% favored imposing a 1% tariff on goods imported from China. By comparison, 41% said they would be less likely to support a candidate associated with the proposal.
Harris leads Trump overall by 5 percentage points in nationwide polls , though the US presidential race will be decided primarily in seven states that are very competitive.
The survey details Trump’s strength on key issues, including the US economy.
“That’s why the election is so close,” said Karin Bowman, a pollster at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
Bowman said Trump’s edge comes from the perception that the economy performed well during his administration from 2017 to 2021, as well as his success in convincing voters that America’s economic problems are shared by other countries, especially economic competition due to potential threats from China.
The survey found that one-third of Democrats said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported higher tariffs and tariffs on Chinese goods, while two-thirds said they were less likely to do so. Independent voters reflect the broader electorate.
The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the global economy in 2020, but the U.S. economy fared well in many ways during the Trump administration , boosted by consumer tax cuts. While the national debt is rising and will rise even more during the pandemic, unemployment remains at its lowest level in decades.
This year, Trump campaigned on several tax cuts, including eliminating the income tax on tips — a proposal Harris also supports. On Thursday, he vowed to eliminate the overtime tax .
Seventy percent of registered voters support the idea of making tips tax-free.
During his presidency, Trump called himself “Tariff Man” because he imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. Economists, including Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs, who predict that Trump’s tariffs and other policies will slow economic growth, are concerned by this idea.
Harris cited Goldman’s assessment during Tuesday’s presidential debate, saying many independent economists believe Trump’s policies will increase the national debt.
But the survey found that 37% of US voters believe Trump will focus on reducing debt, while 30% chose Harris. Another 30% said they would do no such thing.
Several leading budget forecasters believe Trump’s tax proposals would increase the federal deficit by at least $3 trillion over a decade, while those same forecasters believe Harris’s plan would increase the federal deficit by less than $2 trillion and would likely increase or decrease it as well.
Of voters surveyed, 47% said Trump would prioritize promoting a good business environment, while 37% chose Harris.
However, when voters were asked who would work hard to create a good economy for me and my family, Harris held a slight lead of 1 percentage point — 43% to 42%.
Voters also said Harris would prioritize providing affordable health care and building bridges and roads.
Trump leads on inflation, while inflation will rise under Biden in 2021 and 2022. About 43% of voters in the survey said Trump is more likely to “lower the price of everyday items like groceries and gasoline,” while 36% chose Harris.
The Askume/Ipsos poll collected online responses from 1,405 registered voters and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
