{"text":[[{"start":10.8,"text":"More than half of US voters disapprove of Donald Trump’s handling of inflation and the economy, according to a new FT poll that shows the president’s tariffs and the war in Iran are hurting his party’s midterm prospects."}],[{"start":24.1,"text":"The nationwide poll, conducted last week by research company Focaldata, found inflation and the cost of living were the most pressing issues for voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, when control of both chambers of Congress will be up for grabs. "}],[{"start":40.25,"text":"But in a worrying sign for Republicans, well over half of registered voters — nearly 58 per cent — said they “strongly” or “somewhat” disapproved of the president’s handling of inflation and the cost of living. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":54,"text":"Just over 50 per cent said they disapproved of the president’s handling of jobs and the economy, and a larger share — 55 per cent — of voters said Trump’s tariffs had hurt the US economy. Only about one in four voters said the president’s trade policies had helped the economy."}],[{"start":71.1,"text":"The new FT poll comes at a pivotal moment for the Trump administration, with six months to go until the midterms. The war in Iran has sent petrol and other consumer prices sharply higher, and split Trump’s Maga base, which helped him win the White House in 2024 with promises to curb inflation and put “America first”. "}],[{"start":90.8,"text":"Trump has insisted in recent days that petrol prices are “way down.” However, the average price in the US was about $4.60 a gallon last week, almost 50 per cent higher than when the war started."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":103.64999999999999,"text":"The US and Israel first launched air strikes on Iran in late February, sparking a months-long conflict that has in effect shut the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a global crunch of oil supplies. While a shaky ceasefire remains in place, Trump has sought to strike a deal with Tehran to end hostilities and avoid an inflationary spiral as the midterms draw closer."}],[{"start":127.19999999999999,"text":"Focaldata will survey the US electorate each month for the FT, tracking voter sentiment on the economy, foreign policy and a range of issues in the run-up to the November midterms."}],[{"start":138.7,"text":"More than half — almost 54 per cent — of voters polled by Focaldata this month said they “strongly” or “somewhat” disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war in Iran. Just under a third said they approved."}],[{"start":152.29999999999998,"text":"Roughly one in five Republicans said they disapproved of his handling of the war."}],[{"start":157.14999999999998,"text":"The poor marks for the president’s handling of the economy and the war are reflected in his approval rating. The poll found that just over 54 per cent of US voters disapproved of Trump’s job as president, compared to just over 39 per cent who approved. More than 58 per cent of independents had an unfavourable view of him."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":177.74999999999997,"text":"The FT poll showed Democrats had an eight-point lead over Republicans among all registered voters heading into the midterms and an even bigger lead among independents. "}],[{"start":187.59999999999997,"text":"Trump’s Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but Democrats are vying to take back control of both chambers in November."}],[{"start":197.29999999999995,"text":"Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, said Trump’s tax cuts, deregulation and energy agenda would keep the country “on a solid economic trajectory”. "}],[{"start":206.84999999999997,"text":"He added that when energy disruption caused by the Iran war eased, Americans would see “gas prices plummet, real wages grow, inflation cool and trillions in investment continue pouring in”. "}],[{"start":218.54999999999995,"text":"The FT poll was conducted online by Focaldata, a London-based, non-partisan research company, from May 1 through May 5. It reflects the opinions of 3,167 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. "}],[{"start":244.49999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778392768_9105.mp3"}