More than half of U.S. voters support President Trump’s plan to provide $12 billion in aid to American farmers and ranchers impacted as a result of retaliation in tariffs, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue rolled out the details of the plan to assist farmers and ranchers last week.
The survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters found that 57 percent either strongly or somewhat support the farmer aid plan. Roughly one-quarter, or 26 percent, said they either strongly or somewhat opposed the plan.
Support was strongest among Republican voters; nearly eight in 10 said they support the plan. More than half of Independent voters, or 54 percent, agreed, as did 38 percent of Democrats.
Rural voters also responded favorably to the plan, with 63 percent of them saying they support the plan. The responses came after the plan has received mixed review from lawmakers of both parties, who criticize it as a bailout and who feel similar measures should be taken to support other sectors similarly impacted by the trade war, such as manufacturers and small businesses.
Even those from farm states have emphasized that, while the aid is helpful, farmers would much prefer more trade and better access to markets over subsidies.
The poll showed that voters appeared to agree with that review as well, and more than two in five responded that free trade agreements have had a somewhat or very positive impact on the United States. That compares with roughly one-quarter who said trade deals harmed the country.
At the same time, however, roughly half of voters also responded that they somewhat or strongly support imposing tariffs on foreign goods that compete with goods made in the United States. About three in 10 said they somewhat or strongly oppose tariffs, which the president has used extensively to block imports of materials like steel and aluminum and support domestic producers.
The survey of 1,993 registered voters was conducted July 26-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insights on politics, policy, and business strategy.
More details on the poll and its methodology can be found in these two documents. Toplines: https://politi.co/2vmnANb | Crosstabs: https://politi.co/2mYNzGw
