A growing share of American voters trust Democrats over Republicans to handle cost of living issues, according to a new poll.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey, which was completed Monday, Aug. 24, found 36% of registered voters said the Democratic Party had a better approach to handling the cost of living. Around 28% of voters picked Republicans. The rest were not sure or said neither party had a good approach.
Reuters/Ipsos respondents began favoring Democrats slightly over Republicans in terms of costs for Americans after President Donald Trump launched the war on Iran at the end of February. The fighting in the Middle East has shaken oil markets, pushing gas prices to record highs.
A White House spokesperson cited the president's economic strategy when
reached for comment about the new poll’s findings.
"In President Trump’s first term, Americans enjoyed historic job, wage, and economic growth – along with the first drop in wealth inequality in decades – thanks to tax cuts, tariffs, deregulation, and energy abundance," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to USA TODAY. "As this same proven agenda continues taking effect in President Trump’s second term, Americans can count on the best being yet to come."
The U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Aug. 7. Additionally, the annual inflation rate eased in July, but U.S. consumer prices rose.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 951 registered voters over four days. The survey had a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.
The new poll marks a slight gain for Democrats over a poll earlier in the month, which found 35% of respondents preferred Democrats in terms of cost of living compared to 28% for Republicans.
The results also come as another recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that American support for the Iran war has hit its lowest point since the start of the conflict.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: More voters trust Democrats over GOP on cost of living, new poll shows
