A wave of distrust is sweeping across the United States as skepticism over President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies grows. According to new research from Gallup, a large majority of Americans doubt the effectiveness of Trump's approach, with 70% expecting his tariffs to harm US economic growth. These results could serve as a wake-up call for the White House.

The poll reveals that most Americans have little faith in the long-term benefits of Trump's protectionist agenda. About 62% believe that higher import tariffs will ultimately harm the US economy.

Furthermore, 70% of respondents expect the tariff war initiated by the administration to undermine US growth potential in the near term. An overwhelming 89% of those surveyed fear rising prices on a wide range of consumer goods.

Many economists now describe the situation as increasingly dire. Nearly one-third of Americans (31%) say that they cannot tolerate the economic consequences of rising tariffs and view them as an extreme trade policy. Some (20%) say they are willing to endure the hardship for a few months, 22% for up to a year, and just 15% for two to three years.

Earlier, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of Banque de France, also sounded the alarm, estimating that Trump’s protectionism has already damaged both the US and global economies. His remarks came amid a wave of downward revisions to US growth forecasts. At the start of 2025, many analysts had projected 2.5% GDP growth by year-end. This estimate has since collapsed, with some now expecting growth of just 0.1%.

Another consequence of Trump’s tariff hikes has been faster inflation across US consumer markets. This has further intensified economic headwinds as households face higher costs.