Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters nationwide were well-informed of tariffs throughout the 2024 presidential campaign. Overall, voters received negative information about the use of tariffs. Still, when asked about the positives, they found messages about protecting American industries and supporting domestic manufacturing jobs to be the most convincing. 

This study oversampled rural voters to measure the attitudes of those most likely to be affected by retaliatory tariffs. However, almost half of rural respondents believe tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China will be primarily positive or neutral for the U.S. economy. In contrast, two-thirds of their urban and suburban counterparts are at least somewhat concerned about the potential for retaliation. 

The polling results show that voters think international trade is a net good for the American economy and worry about the effects of tariffs. Voters still hold inflation as their top priority for Congress to address rising prices – many believe international trade can be a tool to keep prices lower.

Key Takeaways:

1. A majority of voters, rurally and nationally, think trade with other countries is a good thing because it creates growth and new markets for U.S. goods.

• Promoting trade with foreign countries is considered an important priority for Congress and the Trump administration. Still, fewer voters see it as a top priority compared to inflation and job growth.

2. While most voters say they have heard about tariffs, support for using tariffs on goods imported into the United States is not strong.

• Half of voters (49%) support the use of tariffs on imports. When thinking about their impact, a majority of voters nationally think U.S. consumers primarily pay for tariffs, and voters are divided over which goods are most impacted by them, with about one-in-five saying energy products (22%) or electronic/technology products (21%).

3. More than half of voters think tariffs will raise costs for American consumers and businesses and most think tariffs will increase their monthly costs at least slightly.

• Voters are more willing to pay higher prices for American-made goods than for imported goods.

4. Four-in-five voters say they are familiar with Trump’s tariff plan, and a plurality think these tariffs will mostly hurt the United States’ economy.

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Survey Methodology:

National Sample: This poll was conducted between February 4-9, 2025, among a sample of 3,015 registered voters. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on gender by age, educational attainment, race, marital status, home ownership, race by educational attainment, 2024 presidential vote, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Rural Sample: This poll was conducted between February 4-8, 2025, among a sample of 551 rural registered voters. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of rural registered voters based on age, educational attainment, region, race, gender by age, and 2024 presidential vote. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.