A majority of Americans who said grocery prices are hard to afford blamed the Trump administration for putting them in that situation, according to a new poll.
The Politico Poll, conducted in mid-November, asks those who said grocery prices are “difficult” or “very difficult” to afford who they thought is most responsible: 55% said the current Trump administration, 27% said the Biden administration, and 26% said state government.
Another 20% said billionaires, 20% said businesses, and 17% said local and city governments. Respondents were allowed to select all that apply.
Struggling Americans were less likely to blame the Trump administration for other expenses they find unaffordable — but they still blamed the White House more often than anyone else.
Among those who struggle to afford their health care costs, 48% blamed the current administration, 45% blamed insurance companies, 28% blamed state government, and 23% blamed the Biden administration.
On housing costs, 42% of those struggling to afford their bills blamed the Trump administration, while 35% blamed state government, 34% blamed private landlords, 28% blamed local and city governments, and 23% blamed the Biden administration.
For those struggling to pay their utility bills, 39% blamed the Trump administration, 34% blamed state government, 28% blamed local and city governments, and 23% blamed the Biden administration.
The same poll found that nearly half of Americans, 46%, said the cost of living in the U.S. “is the worst I can ever remember it being,” including 37% of voters who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
The survey comes amid a renewed focus on affordability. It was conducted shortly after last month’s elections, when Democrats outperformed with campaigns focused on cost-of-living concerns.
Trump has since sought to double down on his economic message, but some Republicans have expressed concern that the party’s economic messaging could be failing to reach voters. The Republican candidate eked out a narrow victory in a ruby-red Tennessee district in last week’s special election, and a Democratic candidate won the Miami mayoral race on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The Politico Poll includes 2,098 adults and was conducted online Nov. 14-17. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.