A third of those queried wanted the candidates to speak about the economy when campaigning, the poll revealed. Yet, Americans are split over which political party aligns with their views about economic policies: 37% favored the Democrats and 36% supported Republicans, the findings released July 23 showed, USA Today reported.
Also, 60% of Americans polled now think President Donald Trump's economic policies have harmed economic conditions in the country, an increase from 52% in January, Pew found.
Meanwhile, 23% of Americans now say they expect economic conditions to be better a year from now, down from 31% in January, the poll said. And 36% polled expect conditions to be worse in a year, a slight dip from January (38%).
And just 24% of those polled rated current economic conditions in the country as excellent or good, while 41% say the economic conditions are "only fair" and 35% describe them as poor.
The numbers mark a slight reversal from before the start of Trump's second term in 2025, when Americans were more likely to agree with Republicans than Democrats about economic policy, Pew noted. The poll of 3,554 adults was conducted between July 6 and 12, shortly after Americans celebrated the nation's 250th birthday.
The midsummer findings that give a glimpse into voters' views also come as Trump's approval rating continues to slide in recent months, as the increasing cost of living, the ongoing war against Iran, and the administration's handling of the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak have left Americans dissatisfied with the president's job performance. The poll had a 1.9% margin of error.
The new Pew poll said Trump's approval rating stands at 34%, which is comparable with findings of similar polls. While most Republican voters still approve of the president's job performance, about 64% of those Pew polled disapprove, a figure unchanged since April.
Voters who participated in the new Pew survey believe that Trump's presence looms large in the campaign and that the president is a factor in how they'll vote. By nearly a two-to-one margin, 42% of voters polled say they are more likely to think of their vote during November's midterm elections as a vote against Trump, whereas 22% say they think of it as a vote for the president.
By political party, a large majority of Democrats, 81%, said they consider their vote for Congress this fall a vote against Trump, the poll said. By comparison, about half of Republicans Pew polled said Trump is not much of a factor in their vote, while 44% of Republicans said their vote is a vote for the president.