Fox News poll reveals record number of Americans believe economy is worsening

Seven in 10 Americans feel like the economy is getting worse, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday, tied for the most negative reading in the survey's history.

The poll, conducted April 17-20 among voters, arrives at a moment of deep economic pessimism. Inflation and high prices ranked as the top concern for 26% of voters, followed by the economy and jobs at 17%. Nearly three-quarters (73%) rated the economy negatively, a figure that has barely budged over the past two years. Majorities also described prices for groceries (62%), gas (60%), health care (55%) and housing (52%) as major problems for their families.

Voters see clear advantages for each major party depending on the issue, offering a mixed outlook for Republicans and Democrats as they gear up for midterm elections in November.

The national survey found Republicans hold double-digit leads on border security and solid edges on immigration, crime and national security. Democrats, meanwhile, maintain stronger positions on health care, inflation and the economy, all pocketbook concerns topping voters' concerns. The results underscore persistent public frustration with both parties even as the country heads into a high-stakes election cycle.

On border security, voters said Republicans would do a better job than Democrats by a 16-point margin. Republicans also led by eight points on crime and by six points on national security. Democrats countered with a commanding 21-point advantage on health care, an eight-point lead on inflation and a narrower four-point edge on the broader economy. Democrats also held double-digit advantages on climate change (29 points), abortion (18 points) and transgender issues (13 points), and a six-point lead on foreign policy.

On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats led Republicans 52% to 47%. That five-point edge is within the poll's margin of error and represents a slight narrowing from a six-point Democratic lead in January.

Both parties face headwinds with the public. A majority of voters viewed both parties unfavorably (58%), with favorable ratings stuck at 42% apiece. Nearly two in three said Democrats are focused on the "wrong issues," and an identical 61% said the same about Republicans. Democrats reported higher enthusiasm, with 68% describing themselves as "extremely" motivated to vote compared with 60% of Republicans.

President Trump's overall job approval stood at 42%, with 58% disapproving. Only 28% approved of his handling of inflation and 34% approved of his handling of the economy.

Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson, noted structural factors still favor Republicans in the House despite the generic ballot numbers.

"Although these results are good news for the Democrats, there are two important factors to keep in mind when looking at the generic ballot results," Shaw said, according to Fox. "First, because more of the Democratic vote is stacked in heavily Democratic districts, they probably need to win the national vote by one to three points to win a majority in the House. Second, poll results don't become particularly predictive of the actual vote until late summer before the election."