A new survey shows that 58 percent of Americans believe that United States President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policy will harm the nation's economy.
The survey, done by Marquette Law School, assessed the impact on the public of Trump's decisions during his second term, which began on Jan. 20, followed by a whirlwind of sweeping and sometimes radical choices.
According to the results, 58 percent of Americans believe the tariffs announced by Trump will harm the economy, while 28 percent think they will be beneficial.
A clear majority, 58 percent, also said they think his policies will drive up inflation.
A total of 43 percent of Americans hold a negative opinion of Trump, while 64 percent believe that the closure of institutions is beyond the president’s authority, following a series of moves by Trump and his aides and Cabinet to close the Education Department and USAID, among others.
Additionally, 70 percent of survey respondents said that judges who rule against Trump's decisions should not be removed.
The US Treasury warns countries around the world not to retaliate to avoid further escalation.
Attempt to suspend tariffs
Trump on Wednesday announced that the US would impose reciprocal tariffs on other countries, with the basic tariff rate set at 10 percent.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump's executive orders have frequently been challenged in court, with many federal judges issuing rulings to suspend or overturn these policies.
Many of the issues are expected to end up at the US Supreme Court, which has a majority of conservative justices appointed by presidents from the Republicans, Trump’s party. The justices, however, do not always vote in line with their perceived alignment.
Donald Trump announces huge new tariffs of 34 percent on imports from China, 20 percent on imports from EU — two of the main US trade partners — also including 24 percent on Japan and 26 percent on India.
