President Donald Trump understands better than anyone that his influence over supporters and many swing voters depends on one thing: the perception that he is strong, always winning, fearless in action, and in full control of his opponents. Last month, after a weak July jobs report, Trump fired the official responsible for the data. This move quickly turned a story about economic weakness into one about him taking decisive action against a new target.
On Friday, the latest jobs report found that only 22,000 jobs were created in August. That number is far below the 73,000 reported in July. A revision also showed that June actually lost 13,000 jobs. Even firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner could not hide the consequences of Trump’s own policies. Economists noted that his tariffs are likely a major factor in the slowdown.
This situation gives Democrats an opportunity to challenge Trump’s political image. They can portray him as weak, faltering, and vulnerable. Internal polling by Senate Democrats provides insight into why this strategy could work.
The survey, conducted for the Senate Majority PAC and shared with The New Republic, looked at voter opinions on Trump, his tariffs, and the economy. It found that 56 percent of likely 2026 midterm voters believe the tariffs are hurting the economy overall, with 44 percent saying the impact is severe. Only 32 percent think the tariffs are helping. Among swing voters who switched parties between 2020 and 2024, 57 percent say the tariffs are doing harm.
The poll also examined how tariffs are affecting individuals’ finances. Nearly half of likely voters, 48 percent, reported that tariffs hurt their personal economic situation. In comparison, 29 percent said tariffs had no effect, and just 8 percent felt they were helping.
The survey was conducted by Democratic firm Blue Rose Research and included over 10,000 respondents online. It also tested how economic perceptions shape opinions of Trump’s strength. The results suggest that messaging around tariffs and economic struggles could influence how voters see his political power.
Which of the following statements do you agree with more? President Trump’s tariffs make me think he is …
a strong leader taking on tough fights for America: 39 percent
a reckless leader making life more expensive for ordinary Americans: 51 percent
On tariffs, most likely voters in 2026 see Trump as reckless rather than strong. Among swing voters, the difference is striking, with 50 percent calling him reckless and only 32 percent seeing him as strong.
At first, it made sense to think tariffs could look like a show of strength. They were meant to protect American workers by using government power. Some voters may have ignored the details and simply saw Trump acting decisively against global economic pressures, something his predecessors supposedly did not do. That explains why some Democrats were hesitant to challenge tariffs directly.
In reality, tariffs are a tax on imports that hits consumers the hardest. Working- and middle-class families who spend money on imported goods bear the brunt. Tariffs also threaten exporting industries because other countries retaliate, and they hurt U.S. manufacturers who rely on imported components, industries that employ millions of Americans.
The jobs data now shows the toll. Mike Konczal of the Economic Security Project points out that the latest report supports the idea that tariffs are slowing the economy. He said the industries most affected, like manufacturing and construction, are experiencing dramatic slowdowns. Tariffs are not creating jobs, and the uncertainty they generate is likely preventing new ones.
With this new polling and poor jobs numbers, Democrats no longer need to worry about any Trump advantage on this issue. Most tariffs have been ruled illegal by an appeals court, though the case may go to the Supreme Court. This means they are failing legally as well.
Other polls tell the same story. Pew, Fox, Gallup, and Quinnipiac all report approval of Trump’s tariffs or trade handling stuck in the 30s. Even a Republican-aligned pollster recently warned that large majorities believe tariffs are making inflation worse.
The key insight from the Democratic polling is that voters do not see tariffs as a sign of strength. Instead, they view Trump as reckless, acting aimlessly and causing harm.
This shows Democrats that Trump’s failing tariff strategy is a serious liability. Lauren French, spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, said that instead of creating strength or security, the tariffs are doing the opposite. Being reckless on the economy does not project strength.
Trump frames nearly everything through a strong-versus-weak lens. He often uses the word strongly and attacks opponents as sickly or enfeebled. His exaggerated claims, over-the-top images attached, and extreme messaging about occupying cities through vile agitprop are meant to project power.
Reality, however, is exposing the illusion. Trump blusters that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were president, but Putin has humiliated Trump. His militarization of cities is extreme, yet his lawyers are unprecedentedly struggling to indict those affected.
Trump is also threatening to end mail-in voting by executive order, wanting people to see these actions as unchecked authority, as Jamelle Bouie notes. Republicans quietly fear this could undermine their own vote-by-mail efforts. His advisers claim Democrats are too afraid to criticize deportations and city occupations, but majorities reject both. They do not see these as signs of strength.
Trump even presents tariffs as necessary because past leaders were weak. In practice, they have slowed the economy and caused frustration. Most voters see the tariffs not as strong leadership, but as blundering incompetence.
Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg often argues that the party needs to challenge Trump’s narrative of being strong. Trump frames politics as strong versus weak and winning versus losing. Democrats need to take that narrative away from him.
Some Democrats hesitate because Trump is consolidating power in ways that unsettle many. Law professor Kate Shaw put it that he is taking on authorities past presidents never imagined. He militarizes cities, fires protected officials, withholds funds, and pressures media organizations. Calling him “failing” may seem like it softens warnings about his autocratic tendencies.
But it does not. Even as illegal actions mount, Trump often appears clumsy and ineffective. He boasts of high approval ratings while aides flatter him on February 21, 2025 and August 5, 2025, revealing a mix of audacity and ineptitude that voters are starting to notice according to polling averages and calculations also show by G. Elliott Morris.
TRUMP (lying): We just had the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had. Ever. And actually a record for a Republican.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/FNzjsOMcGv
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2025
After claiming his approval rating is 71 percent, Trump quickly faced a brutal fact-check.
Trump: “I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
Kernen: “You don’t have the best you’ve ever had in overall polls…Your haters cite polls that have you down in the thirties.”
Trump: “They’re fake polls. pic.twitter.com/8TBXXqYYit
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) August 5, 2025
In fact, G. Elliott Morris’s polling averages put Trump’s overall approval at a new low of 42 to 54. His calculations also reveal that Trump is struggling across all major issues, highlighting just how politically vulnerable he has become.
There’s a way to make sense of this paradox between authoritarianism and failure. Democrats can call out Trump’s abuses for the serious threat they pose, while also pointing out that his repeated failures are what make those abuses even more dangerous and unchecked.
In short, Trump is a bumbling figure whose incompetence is on full display, yet he’s still consolidating authoritarian power a combination that makes the situation highly volatile. Democrats can and should say exactly that, according to Yahoo News.
