What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy
Ohio Voters Are Seeing Through Trump’s Tariff Rhetoric: Here’s What We Found
As President Trump prepares to announce sweeping new tariffs on most imported goods, claiming it will strengthen the U.S. economy, recent polling by Innovation Ohio shows that Ohio voters aren’t buying into the hype. Our research, powered by GrowProgress, conducted last month as Trump’s first batch of tariffs took effect, shows that the majority of Ohioans believe these tariffs will hurt more than help, with even Republicans and Trump supporters expressing doubt.
Ohioans Overwhelmingly Believe Tariffs WIll Raise Prices on Everything We Buy
One of Trump’s key arguments for implementing tariffs is that they will lower the cost of everyday goods. However, our survey shows that the public overwhelmingly believes the opposite.
This belief that tariffs will cause prices to rise cuts across all demographic and ideological segments. Even a plurality of Republicans and Trump voters agree that tariffs will lead to higher prices, not lower:
Ohioans Believe Tariffs Will Hurt the Economy
Because Trump claims his blanket tariffs will pay for themselves in the form of a strengthened U.S. economy, we asked Ohioans what they thought. And again we found, voters aren’t buying it.
Only Republicans and Trump voters are receptive to the argument that asking Americans to pay more for the things they buy will pay off economically. All other groups we surveyed expect negative impacts for the economy overall:
Ohioans Say Trump is Not Doing Enough to Address Inflation
President Trump has frequently claimed that his economic policies, including his approach to tariffs, are helping reduce inflation. Our survey found that a majority of Ohio voters disagree:
Self-described Republicans and Trump voters were the only two groups to report the President is doing enough about inflation.
What This Means
The takeaway from our latest research is clear: Ohio voters are seeing through the rhetoric. While President Trump and his supporters claim that tariffs will boost the economy and lower prices, the majority of Ohioans disagree, seeing these measures as harmful to both their wallets and the broader economy.
As Trump moves forward with his plan, it’s essential to pay attention to the voices of everyday voters who will bear the brunt of these policies. For now, it seems clear that Ohioans are not buying into the promise of a tariff-driven recovery.
Our audience understanding survey was conducted using the GrowProgress platform and included 394 registered voters in Ohio. The survey was fielded from Wednesday, February 26, 2025, to Saturday, March 1, 2025 and the sample weighted to reflect Ohio’s demographics, including age, education, gender, party affiliation, and race. The survey has a margin of error of ±5%.